


Potential For More

by prettylittletraitors



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-01-05 22:41:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 41,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21216239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prettylittletraitors/pseuds/prettylittletraitors
Summary: Krissy Crawford, Jack's daughter, is no stranger to the destruction a serial killer leaves in their wake, but love? That is something she isn't prepared for. As feelings grow between herself and Will Graham, she begins to question why she is drawn to the unstable man. Could the mysterious Hannibal Lecter be pulling them both down a dangerous path? Will/OC. Some Hannibal/OC.





	1. Chapter 1

Krissy took a deep breath as she walked up the stairs of the Nichol's house, where the eighth missing, now dead, girl had lived. She reminded herself that she was only here for a favour to her Dad. He tried to hide it but this case had affected him more than most, the girls were only a few years younger than she was. She frowned when she entered the girl's bedroom and found a man looming over her bed, in deep thought, with his eyes closed.

"Uh, who are you?" Krissy questioned, concerned by his odd behaviour.

"You're not supposed to be in here," The man told her, as his eyes flew open, his breathing heavy.

She looked down at the badge he was wearing and saw the name, Will Graham. The special investigator that had been put on the team, she realised.

"Will Graham, huh? You're the guy who had a lot to say about the Evil Minds Research Museum" Krissy stated.

She let her gaze drift over his form, finding him to be more attractive than she had expected. He was hot in a geeky kind of way, with his glasses and curly hair.

"And you are?" Will inquired, not looking towards her.

"Krissy Crawford" She announced, holding out her hand to him.

This got him to look at her directly in the eyes, with a frown on his face. Clearly, he had never heard of Jack having a daughter.

"Wait, as in Jack Crawford?" A woman behind her queried, unexpectedly.

"Yep, the big man himself" Krissy laughed, as Jack walked into the room, with a sigh.

"I told you to wait downstairs, Krissy" Jack insisted.

"You're the one who brought me here, time is money and all that" Krissy shrugged, as two other men entered the room.

"Alright, let's just get the introductions over with. This is my daughter, Krissy, she's here to help with these murders. This is Beverly Katz, Jimmy Price, and Brian Zeller" Jack explained.

"…But she's…" Jimmy trailed off.

"White? British? Way more attractive? Yes, I am all those things. I'm adopted" Krissy informed them.

"I'm sorry, how exactly is she supposed to help with the case?" Will asked, still annoyed he was interrupted.

"…Well, you'll all find out eventually. My brother is Ken Dixon. I'm…I was Krissy Dixon" She confessed.

"The Ken Dixon?" Brian questioned, his eyes wide.

"The most successful serial killer of all time?" Beverly added, with a little awe.

"You see why I'm on the case now?" Krissy said, raising an eyebrow.

"What do you see?" Will couldn't help but ask, curious.

"Well, there must be something different about this girl. Look at the way she's laid out…it's like he felt sorry for her" Krissy exclaimed, as she examined the dead girl tucked in her bed.

"This is an apology" Will stated.

"Not many serial killers actually feel remorse. It will make him easier to catch" Krissy pointed out, as Will's eyes flickered over her quickly.

He guessed she couldn't be older than twenty-two, her skin still seeming young and unblemished. She appeared unassuming, due to a mixture of her short height and narrow frame. She had an unusual sort of beauty about her, one that Will couldn't help but take notice of.

* * *

"Whoever killed this girl certainly didn't feel sorry for her" Krissy sighed, as she took a closer look at the girl's body that was mounted on top of a stag head.

"Minneapolis Homicide's already made a statement. They're calling him the Minnesota Shrike" Jack announced, coming up behind her.

"Like the bird?" Will asked.

"Shrike's a perching bird. Impales mice and lizards on thorny branches and barbed wire. Rips their organs right out of their bodies, puts them in a little birdie pantry, and eats them later" Jimmy explained, as Krissy grimaced.

"I can't tell whether it's sloppy - or shrewd" Jack admitted.

"He wanted her found this way. It's...it's petulant. I almost feel like he's mocking her. Or he's mocking us" Will suggested.

"Where did all his love go?" Jack queried.

"Whoever tucked Elise Nichols into bed didn't paint this picture" Will stated.

"He took her lungs. I'm pretty sure she was alive when he cut 'em out" Brian announced.

"He wanted her to suffer. He hated her" Krissy realised, as Will nodded, agreeing with her assessment.

"But our cannibal loves women. He doesn't want to destroy them. He wants to consume them, to keep some part of them inside. This girl's killer thought that she was a pig" Will added.

"You think this was a copycat?" Jack questioned.

"The cannibal who killed Elise Nichols had a place to do it and no interest in field kabuki. So, he has a house, or two, or a-a cabin something with an antler room. He has a daughter. The same age as the other girls. Same-same hair colour, same eye colour, same height, same weight. She's an only child. She's leaving home. He can't stand the thought of losing her. She's his golden ticket" Will told them, impressing Krissy with his skills.

"What about the copycat?" Jack asked.

"You know, an intelligent psychopath, particularly a sadist, is very hard to catch. There's no traceable motive, there'll be no patterns. He may never kill this way again. Have Dr Lecter draw up a psychological profile. You seemed very impressed with his opinion" Will retorted, as he walked away.

"Who's Dr Lecter?" Krissy inquired.

"He's writing up a profile on Will Graham. Making sure he doesn't…lose his footing" Jack admitted.

"He certainly doesn't seem happy about that" Krissy mumbled.

"Are you all right with this? You know I would never-" Jack started, but she cut him off.

"Dad, I've seen a lot of dead bodies before. I want to help you track down this killer. Besides it's not like I've got much else to do now" Krissy shrugged.

"They still have you on sick leave?" Jack inquired.

"Six months leave at least…it looks like you're stuck with me" Krissy grinned at him.

"Good" He smiled back at her.

* * *

Will was surprised when he found Krissy at the construction site that he and Hannibal had been sent to search at. Jack clearly doesn't trust me at all, Will thought to himself.

"I was wondering when you'd turn up" Krissy announced, as she twisted around in a desk chair.

"So, Jack trusts me so little he had to send his daughter to check up on me?" Will suggested.

"I was not aware that Jack Crawford had a daughter" The man behind him exclaimed.

"Adopted" Both Krissy and Will said at the same time, much to the man's amusement.

"I don't think we've met…" Krissy trailed off, trying to find out his name, as she held out her hand for him to shake.

"Hannibal Lecter" He replied, as he took her hand in his and pressed a soft kiss to it.

"Oh, the psychiatrist who's psychoanalysing you. That must have been an awkward trip here" Krissy exclaimed.

"I'm remaining as courteous as I can be" Will informed her, as he began looking through the files.

"Are you an FBI agent, Ms Crawford?" Hannibal asked.

"No, a special agent just for this case. My dad thinks I could help out so…here I am" She told him, as she began to search through her own pile of papers.

"Forgive me, but how could you help with this case?" Hannibal inquired, curiously.

"My names Krissy…" She trailed off, seeing if he would catch on.

He looked her up and down, taking in her age, accent, and the fact that her adoptive father was an FBI agent.

"Krissy Dixon?" He suggested.

"A+. It usually takes people a bit more than just my name to figure it out" Krissy said, raising an eyebrow.

"I confess to having a professional curiosity in your brother's case. No one has ever gotten close to catching him…apart from you" Hannibal went on.

"How about we just stick with this case, Doctor" She retorted, as he clearly had struck a nerve.

Hannibal's lips twitched into a smile at the comment, finding the girl intriguing. He was surprised she seemed so well adjusted considering the trauma she had to endure in her childhood. Hannibal noticed that Will seemed twitchier than usual as Krissy's eyes drifted over to him every now and again.

* * *

"Garrett Jacob Hobbs?" Will piped up about half an hour later.

"He's one of our pipe threaders. Those are all the resignation letters. Plumbers' Union requires 'em whenever members finish a job" The woman in charge of the site that day, informed him.

"Uh, does Mr Hobbs have a daughter?" Will queried.

"Might have" The woman shrugged.

"Eighteen or 19, wind-chafed, uh, plain but pretty. She'd have auburn hair, about this tall" Will went on.

"Maybe. I don't know. I don't keep company with these people" She confessed.

"What is it about Garrett Jacob Hobbs you find so peculiar?" Hannibal asked as Krissy got up from where she had been sitting.

"He left a phone number, no address" Will replied.

"And therefore he has something to hide?" Hannibal inquired.

"Isn't that a bit of stretch?" Krissy frowned.

"The others all left addresses. Do you have an address for Mr Hobbs?" Will asked the woman, who nodded.

They were packing away the boxes later when Hannibal dropped some of the files on the floor, and both Will and Krissy rushed forward.

"I got it," They both said, at the same time.

"…Okay, you've got to stop doing that" Krissy exclaimed, as she crouched down.

"So, do you" He stated, as she nodded.

"Are you okay? You seem kind of…shaky" She inquired, as he helped her pack the files away.

"I'm fine" He retorted, pulling his hand away when their fingers accidentally touched.

"I'd be a bit on edge if I thought someone was psychoanalysing my every move" She suggested, keeping her eyes to the floor, hoping to make him feel more comfortable.

"Isn't that what everyone does?" Will said, looking at her for a split second.

"Touché" Krissy laughed, as she stood up with the files.

* * *

"So, who's going to be the good cop and who's going to be bad cop?" Krissy queried, as they arrived at the man's house.

"Why would we do that?" Will frowned.

"Why not? How many opportunities do you think you'll get to do-" Krissy cut herself off as she opened the car door.

"What is it?" Hannibal questioned, confused by her behaviour.

"I think I heard a crash" Krissy informed them, as she rushed towards the house.

She hadn't gotten far before the door was opened and a woman was pushed through, blood all around her neck. Krissy ran forward, crouching down beside the woman, who was choking on her own blood.

"Hey, it's okay! It's going to be all right" Krissy told her, as she ripped off her hoodie and placed it around the woman's neck.

"It's okay. I'm a nurse. There's an ambulance on its way. Just hold on" Krissy insisted, as she tried to apply more pressure.

The woman grabbed her arms, clearly terrified and in pain, looking for any sort of comfort. Krissy vaguely heard Will smash down the door and enter, with Hannibal not far behind.

"Hey, no, no. Stay with me!" Krissy cried as the woman's arms dropped to her side.

She grabbed her arm and felt for a pulse but found nothing. She pressed the hoodie tighter around the woman's neck with her knee and took out her phone calling for the police and ambulance. Krissy then began CPR, knowing that it was probably no use, but she still wanted to try. She needed to try. A minute later she heard an array of shots coming from inside the house, but she continued what she was doing. After five minutes, she checked for any sign of life but still found nothing. It was no use. She had lost too much blood, which was evident from the red liquid running down the porch and staining her clothes. Krissy rushed into the house, finding everyone in the kitchen. She instantly noticed a young girl on the floor, blooding pouring out of neck. She grabbed two nearby towels and crouched down beside Will and Hannibal.

"Here," She said, holding out the towels to Hannibal who had his hand around the girl's neck.

"Mrs…Mrs. Hobbs?" Will breathed out shakily.

"No, she didn't make it" Krissy shook her head.

"Have you called for an ambulance?" Hannibal inquired.

"Yeah, they're about five minutes out" She informed him, looking down at her blood-soaked hands and arms and grimaced.

The surroundings around her seemed to change momentarily as she was transported back to a past memory, but she shook her head and soon found herself back in the real world. Surrounded by death. Hannibal watched with interest as Krissy tried to regain control of her breathing, a haunted look in her eyes.

"Are you okay?" She questioned, turning her attention to Will, who she now recognised had his face drenched in blood.

"It's...it's not my blood" Will stuttered, as Krissy nodded.

* * *

Later, Will watched from afar as Abigail, Garrett Jacob Hobbs's daughter, was carted off into an ambulance, with Hannibal holding her hand. He was surprised when he saw Krissy making her way towards him, after being checked out by the paramedics.

"She's alive because of you," Krissy told him, as she stopped about a metre away.

"And her father's dead because of me" Will retorted.

"He had a knife to her throat. It sounds like you were pretty badass" Krissy suggested, as Will let out a halfhearted laugh.

"I almost missed" Will pointed out.

"But you didn't. You did good" Krissy insisted.

"Thank you" Will blurted out, as she gave him a confused look.

"For asking if I was okay. Not many people do. I guess they don't think I know the answer" Will clarified.

"You're welcome" Krissy smiled, finding herself wanting to reach out to him.

Will's eyes locked on to something behind her, as Krissy turned to see Jack had arrived on the scene, instantly making a bee-line for his daughter.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" He questioned, as she shook her head, sadly.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry" He sighed, as he pulled her into a hug.

"I'm fine, dad. Promise" Krissy mumbled, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders.

Her eyes connected with Will's, but she quickly looked away a moment later. His gaze was too intense for her to hold for long.

* * *

Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I really love this show and I've had this idea for years, what do you guys think? Please leave a review if you want me to continue:)


	2. A Rough Start

Will was surprised when he noticed a familiar face waiting outside Doctor Lecter's office, a week after the Hobbs' incident. He couldn't understand why Jack Crawford's daughter would be sitting in his psychiatrist's waiting room, as he gave her a distrustful look.

"Please tell me Jack hasn't sent you here to check up on me" Will announced, as Krissy gave him an amused smile.

"Nope. I'm here for my own psych eval" Krissy confessed, pushing herself to her feet.

"You're going into the field too?" Will questioned.

"Much to my dad's disapproval. Honestly, I think the reason he's so desperate to get you back in the field, is so he can have an excuse to say no to me" Krissy explained.

"I've been rubber-stamped so…maybe you'll get that wish" Will informed her, avoiding her eyes as usual.

"Maybe" She shrugged, as Hannibal's door opened.

"Ms Crawford, please come in" Hannibal exclaimed, holding his hand out.

"Wish me luck" Krissy grinned at Will, who gave her a small smile and a nod in return.

Hannibal watched this interaction, as he stepped out of the doorway to let Krissy in. He had planned their appointments so the two would bump into each other, interested to see how they would interact.

"Are we going to get straight into this or starting with all the ice breaker stuff?" Krissy asked, taking her seat quickly.

"You have had therapy before?" Hannibal inquired, taking his seat opposite her.

"Lots…but not for a while" Krissy replied, fidgeting with her hands.

"I'm sensing you don't want to be here" Hannibal stated.

"I want to go into the field, so this is a necessary evil" She shrugged.

They had soon ticked and checked off everything they needed to for her to pass her psych eval, but she still had to have regular therapy sessions with him for the next few months. Plenty of time to see if he was right about her, Hannibal thought to himself.

"How have you been coping since Mrs Hobbs died in your arms?" Hannibal questioned, as Krissy scoffed.

"You make it sound like I killed her" She pointed out, leaning back on the chair.

"It would be normal to feel guilty for not being able to save her life" Hannibal went on.

"I did everything I could" Krissy stated.

"Your sister died in your arms in a similar way when you were twelve years old…has it resurfaced any of those old memories?" Hannibal suggested.

"No" She lied, not meeting his eyes.

"You seemed to zone out for a moment in the Hobbs's kitchen" Hannibal accused, deciding to push the matter further.

"It was only for a moment. And I've been fine since" Krissy told him.

"Do you feel guilty?" Hannibal asked, trying to figure out if the girl in front of him was capable of feeling such an emotion.

"I did everything I could" Krissy repeated what she had said earlier.

"You seem very closed off about your past" Hannibal theorised.

"My past? It's not exactly over" Krissy retorted, with a scoff.

"Your brother is still on the run. Are you afraid he will come for you?" Hannibal questioned.

"No…I'm afraid he won't stop killing…" Krissy confessed, looking down at her feet.

"Is this why you want to go into the field? You want to save as many lives as your brother takes?" Hannibal realised.

"Whatever you say, Doctor" She shrugged, with a sad smile.

* * *

Krissy slowly walked down the hall towards the firing range, hearing a round of bullets hitting a target. She was careful as she approached Will, not wanting to spook the man, who looked like a deer caught in the headlights half the time. Krissy looked at the board he had been firing at and saw that while the shots weren't perfect, they weren't a beginner's score. Her dad had sent her to go get him, but Krissy couldn't help but let her curiosity get the better of her.

"You've used a gun before?" She suggested, as Will turned around when he recognised her voice.

"I was a cop…a while back. I'm out of practice" He answered, as Krissy let her eyes sweep over his body.

"Your too tense" Krissy pointed out, taking a step towards him.

"Tense sums up most of my personality" Will muttered, turning back to the shooting range.

"Oh, so you do have a sense of humour?" Krissy grinned, as she came to stand behind him.

"I was being serious" Will replied.

"Still funny…do you mind…?" Krissy questioned, holding her hand out, clearly requesting to touch him.

After mulling it over, Will gave her a quick nod, gripping his gun a little tighter as her small hand touched his shoulder. He was surprised when she began to practically give him a massage, her thumb loosening up the knots behind his shoulder.

"If you don't loosen up more, that recoil is really going to sting" Krissy informed him, continuing her ministrations.

"You know how to handle a gun?" Will questioned, trying not to think about the feeling of her breath against his neck.

"I'm Jack Crawford's daughter, remember?" Krissy smirked, pulling her hand away slowly.

"You and Jack seem to have very different opinions on certain subjects" Will blurted out, as he moved to place his ear protectors back in place.

"Certain subjects like you?" Krissy questioned, placing her own ear protectors back on.

"Amongst other things" Will exclaimed, raising his gun to take his next shot.

He was pleasantly surprised to see he had fared better this time, as all the bullets reached their target. It seemed as though Krissy had been right, Will thought to himself.

"Do you think your ready to go back in the field?" Krissy inquired, as Will's eyes snapped up to hers for just a moment, as they both removed their ear protectors.

"Everyone else seems to think I am" Will replied, realising that no one else but her had asked his own opinion on the matter.

"Like Doctor Lecter?...What do you think of him?" Krissy couldn't help but ask.

"He seems to have respect for me. That's something rare that I can appreciate" Will explained, as Krissy mulled over his words.

"My dad asked me to bring you in for our newest case" Krissy informed him, a moment later.

"Our?" Will frowned, as Krissy turned on her heel.

"Oh, he didn't tell you? Me and you are gonna' be partners, Will" Krissy grinned, not needing to turn around to know the older man was staring at her in shock.

* * *

Krissy watched with interest as Will seemed to disappear into one of the scenes in his mind, walking over to one of the bodies and creating a strange movement with his hands. Krissy realised with a sickening feeling that he was acting out shovelling dirt onto the body. Not many crime scenes could make her feel queasy, but this one was succeeding. The bodies had been used as a garden. A mushroom garden to be exact. They were nothing more than fertiliser to the killer, that was clear to see. How could anyone have such a disregard for human life, Krissy asked herself. Her attention was brought back to Will as he seemed to come out of his trance, with an almost seizure like action. It seemed like he had seen something in his head that spooked him. Going against her better judgement, she cautiously approached the bearded man, crouching down on the opposite of the body, trying to ignore the stench that wafted from the corpse.

"You okay?" Krissy inquired, as Will's eyes snapped up to hers for just a moment.

However, before Will could even reply a hand shot up and grabbed his arm, as Krissy's mouth dropped open in horror. The corpse wasn't a corpse.

"Shit...I need a med kit!" Krissy cried in a panic, moving to the head of the body.

Will crawled away from the deformed victim who was gasping for air, as Krissy tilted their chin back to make sure their airway wasn't obstructed. Or at least whatever was left of their airway.

"It's okay, you're gonna' be okay" Krissy told them, making sure she was in the vision of the victim.

"Oh God…" Beverley gaped, as she rushed over to them, quickly followed by Jack.

"I need some oxygen. Right now!" Krissy insisted, as Beverley took off, hearing the commanding tone in Krissy's voice.

"Hey, no, no…stay with me! Stay awake!" Krissy exclaimed, as the victim's hand stopped moving, becoming sickeningly still.

Krissy tried to feel for a pulse but the person's skin seemed to almost disintegrate underneath her fingers. Moving her position, she laced her fingers together and began to perform CPR desperately. Krissy almost gagged as she felt their chest was more soil than flesh at that point, the mushrooms squelching underneath her hand. After pumping the person's heart thirty times, she was about to move to perform rescue breaths, when she realised there was little left of their mouth.

"Krissy-" Jack began, as Krissy cut him off quickly.

"No! I can bring them back. I can do this!" Krissy retorted, continuing to pump their chest.

"They're already gone," Jack told her, moving to Krissy's side.

"I have to try…I have to…" Krissy shook her head.

After five minutes the burning in her arms were becoming unbearable, as her breath came out in short gasps. Jack placed his hand on his daughter's shoulder, as she finally stilled her movements. She looked up at the victim's motionless face, their eyes still open, and felt bile creeping up her throat. Krissy quickly pushed herself to her feet, shrugging Jack's hand away as she rushed away from the scene. She kept going, completely ignoring the calls for her to come back. She needed to get away.

* * *

Krissy wasn't sure how she ended up outside Hannibal Lecter's door a couple of hours later, pacing the wooden floorboards as she debated whether to knock. It seemed like she had caused a loud enough commotion as the door swung open not long after she arrived, as Hannibal tilted his head at her appearance. She looked like she was either close to tears or about to vomit, as she held her hands out in front of her, a mixture of what looked dirt and blood covering her pale skin. Instead of being horrified as she expected most would react, he seemed mildly intrigued.

"Come in" Hannibal offered, stepping out of the doorway, as Krissy rushed through.

"Can…can I wash my hands?" Krissy questioned, making Hannibal nod.

"Of course. Please, take a seat" Hannibal told her, as he disappeared behind a door a few moments later.

Krissy did as she was told, her leg bobbing up and down nervously as she waited for him to return. She couldn't just go home. Bella would ask questions, and her father would look at her with his usual concerned stare. She would have to return eventually but—

"Here…" Hannibal trailed off, placing a bowl of warm soapy water and a flannel in Krissy's vision, not missing how she flinched at the action.

"Thanks" Krissy replied, bluntly, placing the bowl on her lap and quickly getting to work scrubbing her hands.

Hannibal moved to his chair opposite her, wondering why she had come to him. He hadn't believed they had built a rapport yet.

"…I, uh…I'm sorry to barge in on you like this. Are you…busy?" Krissy mumbled, seeming completely different from the confident way she had acted last time she was in his chair.

"No…you seem very distressed" Hannibal pointed out, as Krissy continued rubbing at her hands.

"I came from a crime scene" Krissy confessed.

"I'm guessing you got closer than you expected?" Hannibal stated, gesturing to her dirty hands.

"There was a body…but, uh…it wasn't a body. They were still alive…they didn't make it…" Krissy trailed off, picking at the dirt underneath her fingernails.

"You tried to save them?" Hannibal inquired, as Krissy nodded.

"Whoever did…that to them, they used them as a garden. A mushroom garden. It was…it was horrible" Krissy muttered, almost choking up on her words.

"It does sound upsetting" Hannibal agreed, picking up a hand towel from nearby and approaching her.

"I should have realised they were still alive" Krissy shook her head, placing the bowl on the floor and taking the towel.

"You had been called to a murder scene, there was no reason for you to be looking for vital signs. That's not your job…anymore-" Hannibal began, as Krissy cut him off with a scoff.

"You've been talking to my dad, haven't you?" Krissy realised, running a hand through her hair.

"He has revealed certain details about your temporary unemployment" Hannibal nodded, as Krissy's jaw tensed.

"I'm not here to talk about that" Krissy insisted, through gritted teeth.

"It is natural to feel guilty after an experience like this" Hannibal informed her, changing the subject.

"It's the second time someone's died in my arms in the past few weeks" Krissy sighed, leaning back on the chair.

"None of which has been due to your own actions" Hannibal exclaimed.

"I don't think I'm ready to be in the field" Krissy suggested, her eyes snapping up to her therapist's.

"I must disagree…I believe you may be stronger than you realise, Krissy" Hannibal went on, as she looked away from his intense gaze.

"I can still feel…their body under my hands" Krissy murmured, turning a worryingly green colour.

"Then you must find a new sensation to distract you" Hannibal offered.

"…Well, right now I wouldn't mind having this killer's neck underneath my hands" Krissy muttered, darkly, peaking Hannibal's interest.

A sharp knock on Hannibal's office door made Krissy jump, as both their heads snapped over to see who was on the other side. Krissy stood up quickly, taking a deep breath as Hannibal walked over to the door. He looked over to her as his hand touched the door knob, as if to ask her permission to open it. She gave him a grateful nod, as the door revealed someone she hadn't expected.

"…I, uh…I didn't realise you had…" Will trailed off, as he realised it was Krissy standing in Hannibal's office.

"Perhaps we can reschedule our appointment, Will?" Hannibal suggested, as Krissy rushed forward to step through the doorway.

"It's fine. Honestly. I was just going anyway" Krissy announced, embarrassment making her cheeks redden.

"Please, I insist…" Will trailed off, reaching out to grab her hand before she could leave the room.

Krissy looked down at their linked hands, as Will's rough fingertips brushed against her palm, the heat from his hand causing a pleasant feeling to well in her chest. Hannibal watched with interest as Krissy's eyes snapped up to Will's, who surprisingly held her gaze for a few moments.

"Thank you, Dr Lecter" Krissy exclaimed, pulling her eyes from Will, as Hannibal gave her a polite nod.

"Bye, Will" Krissy offered, with a small smile, before turning on her heel.

"Goodbye" Will called after her, watching as Krissy rubbed her palms together.  
Hannibal's lips twitched into a smile as he realised Krissy seemed to have taken his advice to find a new sensation to focus on. Will's hand against her own seemed to suffice well enough.

* * *

Later that day, Krissy had managed to avoid her father at the B.A.U, making a beeline for where she knew the bodies would be kept. She got a lot of strange looks as she entered the room, as everyone noticed her clothes had changed, her hair still damp from the shower she had taken.

"Alright, listen up everyone. Yes, I had a freak out at a crime scene. No, I don't want to talk about it. So, let's just get on and do our jobs?" Krissy announced, as the group exchanged looks.

"Sounds good to me" Beverley nodded, as Krissy gave her a grateful smile.

"So, what did these people die of? Suffocation?" Krissy suggested, as Brian spoke up.

"Nope. They all died of kidney failure" Brian replied, making Krissy frown.

"Dextrose in all the catheters. He probably used some kind of dialysis or peristaltic to pump fluids after their circulatory systems broke down" Beverley explained, as a theory came together in Krissy's mind.

"Force-feeding them sugar water?" Will muttered, sharing a similar expression to Krissy's.

"You know who loves sugar water? Mushrooms" Jimmy informed them, gesturing to the bodies.

"And you know who doesn't love sugar water?" Krissy exclaimed, as they all turned to her.

"Diabetics" Krissy pointed out, as Beverley's eyes widened.

"Death by diabetic ketoacidosis" Will nodded, with an impressed expression.

"Did you know they were diabetics?" Beverley inquired, looking to both Brian and Jimmy.

"We don't know they were diabetics" Brian scoffed, crossing his arms defensively.

"They're all diabetics" Krissy and Will insisted, at the same time, clearly amusing Beverley.

"Woah…is that a thing you two do now?" Beverley smirked, as Will chose to ignore her.

"He induces a coma and puts them in the ground" Will went on.

"How is he inducing diabetic comas?" Beverley frowned.

"Changes their medication. So, he's a doctor or a pharmacist-" Will started, as Jimmy cut him off.

"Or a nurse" Jimmy pointed out, as Krissy turned to glare at him.

"He buries them, feeds them sugar to keep them alive long enough for the circulatory systems to soak it up" Beverley added.

"So he can feed the mushrooms!" Jimmy realised.

"We dug up his mushroom garden" Brian gulped, nervously.

"Yeah, he's gonna want to grow a new one" Will mumbled, more to himself than anyone else.

"…The killer will be a pharmacist" Krissy suggested, confusing the group.

"They'll be the ones dispensing the medication unlike a doctor and, I mean c'mon, did you see the cannulas on those bodies? A toddler could do a better job…even a doctor" Krissy explained, as Will mulled over her words.

"…You want to put some money on this bet?" Beverley suggested, as Krissy gave her an amused look.

The smile quickly faded from her face when she saw a familiar figure walking up behind Beverley, his forehead wrinkled and his jaw tense. Jack didn't look happy.

"Oh…hey dad" Krissy mumbled, giving him a small wave.

"That still sounds weird to me" Jimmy mumbled, under his breath.

"Where the hell have you been?" Jack questioned, coming to stand in front of Krissy.

"I went for a walk" Krissy shrugged, as Jack gave an exasperated sigh.

"For four hours?" Jack inquired, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Don't have a go at me just because you need to get in some more cardio" Krissy teased, punching his arm lightly, as Jack gave her an unimpressed look.

"…Not the time. Duly noted" Krissy nodded, a moment later.

"You ran out of a crime scene" Jack pointed out, as Krissy looked down at her feet.

"Krissy may have just narrowed down who our killer is" Will spoke up, as Jack raised an eyebrow at the usually quiet man.

"Of course, she did…what do we know?" Jack sighed, as Krissy gave Will a small smile.

* * *

Krissy's feet seemed to have a mind of their own as she found herself approaching Abigail Hobbs's hospital room, surprised to see there was no security protecting her. However, Abigail did seem to have gained her own personal bodyguard. Krissy's lips twitched into a smile as she saw Will laid out on the couch opposite Abigail's bed, his head resting on the arm of the couch, with his jacket underneath. He seemed to be shivering slightly, causing Krissy to quietly grab a nearby blanket and place it over his shoulder's. Will looked peaceful as he slept, an expression that was rare to see when he was awake. Krissy caught herself staring at him and quickly turned her attention back to Abigail. Unlike both Hannibal and Will, Krissy didn't feel the same protective urge they clearly did over the comatose girl. Krissy tried to mull over the reason, perhaps it was because Abigail was only two years younger than she was…or maybe it was because Krissy didn't trust the girl. She couldn't believe that Abigail knew nothing of her father's crimes. Krissy had certainly been aware of what her brother did.

"Abigail…" Krissy trailed off, in a hushed whisper, not even sure what she had come to say.

She crouched down, kneeling beside Abigail's bed, and leant forward to whisper in her ear, the words flowing out before she could stop them.

"Krissy?" A voice called out, making Krissy jump and pull away.

Will was looking up at her from where he was lying on the couch, his forehead wrinkled in confusion.

"I was already in the hospital, so I thought I'd come to see how she was doing" Krissy announced, walking over to lean against the foot of Abigail's bed.

"Are you okay?" Will questioned, thinking that she may have been hurt.

"…Oh. No, I'm fine. I was…I went to the morgue to see the body. The guy from the crime scene" Krissy mumbled, looking down at her feet.

Will's frown deepened at this confession, wondering why she seemed so affected by not being able to save the victim. He slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, stretching his stiff neck as he did so.

"Did it help?" Will inquired, looking up at her for a moment.

"Not really…does coming here to see her help?" Krissy replied, as Will mulled over her a comment.

"Not really" He repeated, with a sad smile.

"Hey, uh…thanks for standing up for me today. I think my dad was about to attempt at grounding me if you hadn't stepped in" Krissy joked.

"I just told him the truth" Will shrugged.

"I hear we found out our killer's name" Krissy exclaimed, as Will trailed a hand over his face.

"And we might have caught him if he hadn't seen that news article" Will murmured, in a dark tone.

"At least this Freddie Lounds got a good picture of you…very striking, even a little mysterious" Krissy teased, as she pushed off from the bed to come and sit beside Will on the couch.

"Shame about the part where she called me a psychopath then" Will scoffed, with an amused smile.

"Well, I've heard some girls are into that" Krissy smirked, turning to him.

"Uh, what time is it?" Will inquired, rubbing at his eyes.

"Almost half eight. In the morning. Have you been here all night?" Krissy asked as Will nodded.

"Go get yourself a coffee. Stretch your legs…whatever. I'll take the next watch" Krissy offered, making Will frown.

"You don't need to-" Will began, but Krissy shook her head and all but pushed him to his feet.

"I can handle a little babysitting, Will" Krissy informed him, as the pair shared a smile.

Just as Will was about to walk out of the room, he stopped and turned around, a question on his lips.

"What were you whispering to her?" Will inquired, remembering how she had been saying something to Abigail before he woke.

"Girl stuff" Krissy shrugged.

This seemed to equally confuse Will and make him not want to ask any further questions, as he nodded and walked out of the room. Krissy turned back to the comatose girl and wondered if she had heard her. Krissy wasn't sure if her words would make Abigail want to wake up.


	3. The Copycat

Krissy had just finished texting Jack to let him know where she was when a twitchy man in scrubs entered the room. He seemed surprised to see her there, appearing to contemplate walking back out the room before deciding otherwise.

"You alright, mate?" Krissy frowned at his strange behaviour.

"Face the wall" The man muttered, as he suddenly pulled a gun out.

Krissy's eyes widened when the man closed the door quietly behind him, as she pushed herself to her feet. She slowly raised her hands, trying to think through her options as she noticed the man's eyes darting between her and the unconscious Abigail.

"Look, whatever her father did, it doesn't mean she deserves to die-" Krissy began, as the older man cut her off, raising his gun to aim at her head.

"This isn't about her…now step away!" The man exclaimed, as Krissy did as she was told.

"Just put the gun down, okay? Let's talk about this" Krissy suggested, as the man vehemently shook his head.

"I waited until he had gone. No one…no one was supposed to be here" The man mumbled, going to stand beside Abigail's bedside.

"Will? You were watching him?" Krissy inquired, still confused as to who the man was.

"He understands me. Once I help him reach her…we can…he'll help me…" The man stuttered as Krissy felt a shiver go down her spine.

"You're the killer. Stammets" Krissy gaped, as the man's eyes snapped up to hers.

The killer watched as Krissy's face morphed from terrified to furious in a matter of seconds, her eyes hardening. Before he could react, Krissy had grabbed a nearby table lamp and hurled it towards him, as the gun was flung from his hand. Krissy quickly crawled over Abigail's bed and lunged at the man, who was reaching for his gun. She managed to throw him into a nearby wall, but he quickly got the upper hand, as he sent his elbow colliding with her stomach. While Krissy was winded, the man sent a flurry of blind punches her way, one colliding with her shoulder, as she could swear she heard something snap. Another hard punch to her face sent her colliding with some of the medical equipment, as she became tangled up in the wires. Stammets reached out to grab her, only realising a moment too late, that she had gained the upper hand. With some oxygen tubing gripped tightly in her hands, she made quick work of wrapping it around her attacker's neck and began to squeeze. Stammets' let out a choked cry, as he clawed at his neck, trying desperately to get away. Every time he strained against Krissy's grip, the ligature around his neck only got tighter. Pushing him into a nearby wall, Krissy pressed her hands against the man's neck, now using her own strength to strangle him. Stammet's started to slump against the wall, as his eyes fluttered shut, but Krissy still didn't loosen her grip. She wanted to watch the life leave the man's eyes.

"Krissy?" A quiet voice spoke from a few metres away, as Krissy's head snapped to the side.

Will was standing there with a slack jaw, his eyes darting between Krissy's angry attack and Abigail's clearly unharmed body. Krissy instantly dropped her hands from Stammet's neck, who flopped to the floor.

"He was gonna' kill her" Krissy announced when she noticed Will's hand was still touching his gun holster.

"…Is he alive?" Will questioned, as Krissy's eyes dropped to his body.

She slowly crouched beside Stammets and placed her fingers against his neck, feeling a slow heartbeat underneath her fingers. She looked back up to Will and nodded, neither sure if they were happy about that or not.

"You were going to kill him" Will stated, his eyes twitching more than normal.

"Would that have been so bad?" Krissy replied, taking a step towards him.

Will kept his eyes downcast as she moved past him, trying to read the expression on his face. Was it disappointment? Had she already made him fear her?

"…No" Will mumbled as Krissy touched the door handle, turning back to him with a frown.

"It wouldn't have been so bad if you had killed him" Will admitted, letting out a shaky breath once he realised what he had said.

"It's not too late for me to finish the job" Krissy pointed out, raising an eyebrow, as she walked back over to him.

The pair's eyes dropped to Stammets body on the floor and the infrequent rise and fall of his chest. There was a good chance he would die soon enough without medical treatment. Would leaving him to die be as bad as killing him, Will thought to himself. They both seemed to shake out from the dark trance they had been in at the same time, as Krissy announced quickly that she would go get a doctor, leaving Will alone in the room with his own thoughts.

* * *

Krissy felt her hands get sweaty and her vision blur as she approached the Hobbs' house, trying desperately to calm her nerves. She hadn't wanted to come. Hearing that Abigail Hobbs' wanted to see her was bad enough, but going back to the house where a human being had bled to death in her arms? It was too much. Of course, there was only one person who could convince her otherwise. Her dad. Jack had all but begged her to go visit Abigail, wanting to get her opinion on the girl. If there was one person's opinion he would believe, it would be his daughter's. Krissy had entered the property through the back, feeling as if she would have passed out having to walk over the bloody front porch. She could hear talking from the kitchen and went to lean against the doorframe. All eyes were on her as she made her entrance, feeling a flush of embarrassment at not calling ahead.

"I saw the artwork outside the house…I'm surprised whatever hick wrote it can actually spell Cannibal" Krissy joked; her eyes planted firmly on Abigail.

The group were all surprised as Abigail suddenly burst out laughing, the tension in the room disappearing almost immediately. Krissy took a step into the kitchen, averting her eyes from both Will and Hannibal's gaze. She hated to admit it, but they were both another reason why she hadn't wanted to see Abigail.

"You must be Krissy. The nurses said you saved my life" Abigail announced, as Krissy's forehead wrinkled slightly.

She hadn't really thought about it that way before. Was her intention ever really to save the girl in front of her, or was it just about trying to kill Stammets? Still, it felt good to hear the gratitude in the girl's voice. Krissy figured that must have been the reason why she wanted to see her.

"Don't mention it" Krissy shrugged, rubbing her arm nervously.

"And that you tried to save my mom?" Abigail questioned, as Krissy paled a little at the question.

"Tried being the important word" Krissy muttered.

"Still…thank you. For trying" Abigail told her, as Krissy gave her a small smile.

"…I don't think we've been introduced. I'm Doctor Bloom" A pretty woman with a kind smile greeted, as Krissy's eyes widened.

"The Doctor Bloom? Wow…I can see why my dad gushes about you so much" Krissy stated, a flirtatious tone to her voice.

"Likewise," Alana smiled, as Krissy's lips twitched into a smirk.

"They turned all the pictures around" Abigail mumbled, seeing how the pictures had been moved on the fridge.

"Crime scene cleaners will do that" Alana informed her, tearing her attention away from Krissy.

"They did a really good job. Is that where all my blood was?" Abigail questioned, seeming more fascinated than horrified.

Red flags were flashing in front of Krissy's eyes as she watched Abigail's micro expressions, finding that she wasn't reacting how Krissy expected. The girl was cold, almost clinical. Maybe she was just dissociating from the experience? That was something that Krissy could understand.

"Yes" Will answered.

"You do this a lot? Go places and think about killing?" Abigail questioned.

"Too often" Will admitted, as Krissy allowed herself to really look at him for the first time that day.

He looked tired. Really tired. Had he even slept since her attack on Stammets? She could tell he was avoiding her gaze even more than usual, and who could blame him? He hadn't told anyone what she had said, or just how far she had been taking her attack. His story completely aligned with hers. She was acting out of self-defence. Nothing more.

"The attacks on you and your mother were different. They were desperate. Your dad knew he was out of time. Somebody told him we were coming" Will explained, bringing Krissy's attention back to the current situation.

"The man on the phone?" Abigail guessed, as Will nodded.

"It was a blocked call. Did you recognize his voice?" Will inquired, as Abigail's eyes darted around the room nervously.

"I had never heard it before" Abigail replied, with a small shake of her head.

Krissy tilted her head as she could easily tell the girl was lying. But why? Did she really know the copycat killer? No wonder Jack was doubting this girl, her behaviour was clearly suspect. Abigail was clever and manipulative…a winning combination that never led to anything good.

While Krissy was watching the younger girl, Hannibal had been watching her. He could tell Krissy could sense the same darkness in Abigail that he could. Will's feelings for Abigail had clouded his judgement, meaning he couldn't see Abigail for who she was. Alana only wanted to see the best in people and refused to believe what was right in front of her. Hannibal waited to see if Krissy would voice her clear distrust of the girl, a small smirk growing on his face when she didn't. Perhaps she too was curious to see what Abigail would do next?

* * *

"You cancelled our last appointment" Hannibal exclaimed, as the pair stood side by side, rifling through the Hobbs' personal possessions, with consent from Abigail.

"I didn't want to talk about my feelings last week" Krissy muttered, holding a small snow globe in her hands.

"After a traumatic event, it is important to talk. Bottling things up will lead to no good" Hannibal continued, as Krissy turned to him.

"Well, talking to a psychiatrist has never helped me much in the past" Krissy stated.

"What about a friend?" Hannibal suggested as Krissy raised an eyebrow at him.

"Wouldn't that be crossing a professional boundary, Doctor Lecter?" Krissy replied, with a teasing smirk.

"I was referring to Will," Hannibal told her, as Krissy couldn't stop the embarrassed scoff that dropped from her lips.

"I don't think Will wants to talk to me right now…why don't you want to be friends with me? I come pretty highly recommended, you know" Krissy explained, as Hannibal's lips twitched into a smile.

"I fear we are too similar to be friendly, Krissy" Hannibal informed her, as she tilted her head.

"Well, I hope your sake that's not true. I'm a whole level of messed up" Krissy muttered, going back to rifling through the box in front of her.

"That sounds like a statement from someone with a high degree of self-loathing. Perhaps you should talk to a psychiatrist about it" Hannibal suggested, as Krissy gave him a look.

"Okay, okay. I get the message. I'll be at your office on Friday" Krissy shook her head, fondly.

"Is that why you let me come home? To find evidence?" Abigail's raised voice broke through their conversation, as the pair turned to her.

"It was one of many considerations" Hannibal announced.

"Are we gonna re-enact the crime? You be my dad, you be my mom, and you be the man on the phone" Abigail suggested, as she glared intensely at Hannibal.

Krissy couldn't help but frown at her odd words, noticing once again the look of excitement in Abigail's eyes. And how Abigail's eyes seemed to stay on Hannibal even when Alana started talking. It seemed as though there was almost a threat behind them?

"Abigail, we wanted you to come home to help you leave home behind," Alana told her.

"You're not gonna find any of those girls, you know?" Abigail muttered, matter-of-factly.

"What makes you say that?" Will inquired.

"He would honour every part of them. He used to make plumbing putty out of elk's bones. Whatever bones are left of those girls are probably holding pipes together" Abigail explained, as Krissy felt a little green at the thought.

"Where did he make this putty?" Hannibal asked, curiously.

"At the cabin. I can show you tomorrow" Abigail replied, as they heard a door open from the other side of the house.

"Abigail, there's someone here" Alana frowned.

Hannibal noticed Krissy's hands balled into fists as if she was going into flight or fight mode. He theorised with interest that the girl always seemed close to fight rather than flight. She didn't seem like a runner. Hannibal's attention was pulled away as a pretty brunette walked into the room, her eyes instantly finding Abigail.

"Hey, Abigail" The girl announced.

* * *

While Abigail's friend, Marissa, had all but dragged the young girl away to talk in the backroom, Krissy decided it was time to face one of her newest fears. She had avoided the front entrance earlier, but she couldn't keep ignoring what had happened. She wasn't a coward. She was strong enough to face a bloodstain on the ground, she thought to herself. Krissy quickly realised how wrong she had been once she had ripped the front door open, feeling bile rise in her throat as she looked at the red substance splattered all over the porch. Flashes of Mrs Hobbs bleeding out in her arms whizzed behind her eyes, as Krissy clutched at her stomach. She could still smell the coppery aroma, the squelchy feel beneath her hands. Had she tried to save her? Could she really be sure? Krissy flinched as a hand suddenly came into her vision, pulling the door shut in one quick motion. She turned to see Will standing beside her, his eyes downcast, but the concern clear in them.

"I was just…" Krissy trailed off, not sure how to finish the sentence.

"I know what you were doing. And why" Will stated, as Krissy slowly nodded.

"You've been avoiding me" Krissy pointed out.

"No more than you've been doing to me" Will retorted, his fingers fidgeting in a nervous manner.

"Touché…I figured I scared you off" Krissy shrugged, watching Will shake his head with a frown.

"I understand why you did what you did," Will told her.

"Because of your empathy thing?" Krissy guessed as Will's lips twitched into a tired smile.

"Because I wanted to do the same thing to Stammets…for what he did to those people, for trying to hurt Abigail" Will explained.

"She's really got under your skin, huh?" Krissy suggested as Will shrugged this time.

"Her father certainly has" Will muttered, almost too quiet to hear, as he rubbed a hand over his face.

"…I see them too. It's probably some type of PTSD" Krissy informed him, resisting the urge to reach out and touch him.

"So, I'm not going crazy?" Will suggested, with a harsh laugh.

"You're as sane as I am, Will" Krissy stated, her lips twitching into a smile.

"Well, that's a relief," Will said, in a joking manner.

"You do, however, desperately need a shower" Krissy told him, teasingly.

"Is that an invitation?" The words flew from Will's lips quicker than he could stop them, his cheeks flushing immediately.

"...Holy shit, did Will Graham just flirt with me? God, do you need to sit down? Get an ice pack maybe?" Krissy teased, shaking his shoulder a little when she could see how embarrassed he had become.

"I really must be tired" Will mumbled, the ghost of a smile on his lips, as Krissy giggled.

"Hey! Piss off!" They heard an angry yell from the backyard, sharing a quick look before they rushed off towards the sound.

"Did you help your old man cut out my sister's lungs while she was still using-" A lean man exclaimed from the tree outlines, cut off as Marissa hurled a rock towards him, cutting his head.

Once he saw Will, Krissy and Hannibal rushing over from the house, he spat on the ground near Abigail before sprinting further into the forest. Abigail made a beeline straight for Hannibal and Will, clearly feeling protected around them, which Marissa seemed to notice.

"He said he was someone's brother" Abigail mumbled.

"Are you okay?" Krissy inquired, as Abigail nodded, shakily.

"Not much of a protective detail, are you?" Marissa scoffed, as Krissy rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Well, if you had stayed in the house as we asked, there wouldn't have been-" Krissy began, as Marissa cut her off rudely, raising a hand up.

"I'm sorry, who even are you? You're not exactly old enough to be FBI" Marissa scoffed, giving Krissy an unimpressed look.

"And you're not old enough to be talking to me like that" Krissy retorted.

With an angry expression on her face, Marissa suddenly shoved Krissy, her hand collided with Krissy's injured shoulder that still ached from her fight with Stammets. Krissy stumbled back, clutching at her painful joint, as it throbbed. Marissa looked a little taken aback, confused as to why her shove clearly hurt Krissy so much.

"I think you should leave. Now" Will exclaimed, a cold tone to his words, as he stepped forward.

"Marissa! Marissa, come home!" An older woman called out from near the Hobbs' home, who they assumed was Marissa's mother.

The young girl stormed off without another word, glaring at Krissy as she went. Hannibal watched as Krissy's hands balled into fists, her jaw tense, looking like she wanted to do nothing more than knock the girl out. His eyes were quickly drawn back to where she was still guarding her shoulder.

"You appear to be injured" Hannibal announced.

"It's fine" Krissy muttered, through gritted teeth.

"I don't appreciate being lied to, Krissy" Hannibal stated, as the girl let out a long sigh.

"…I'm still a bit sore from my fight with Stammets, that's all" Krissy shrugged, grimacing at the movement.

"You should let Doctor Lecter look at it" Will advised her, his eyes darting from her shoulder to her face in quick succession.

* * *

A few minutes later, two police officers had taken Abigail into the living room, while Krissy jumped up onto the counter in the kitchen. Hannibal was rifling through the freezer, scooping up some of the ice that was inside and wrapping a kitchen towel around it. Meanwhile, Krissy had pulled her plaid shirt down to reveal a blackish-blue bruise that covered from the top of her shoulder and kept going past the fabric of her shirt. Will frowned, not having realised how much of a fight Stammets had put up. Maybe Krissy was only acting in self-defence, he realised.

"You should take your shirt off, so we can take a better look at the bruise," Will told her, as Krissy's lips twitched into a smirk.

"If you wanted to see me with my shirt off, all you had to do was ask" Krissy grinned, enjoying how Will's cheeks flushed at the suggestion.

She quickly began unbuttoning her plaid shirt, pulling it off to leave her in a white tank top, revealing the full extent of the bruise. Hannibal came to stand by the pair, raising an eyebrow slightly when he saw how large the bruise was. It would clearly be causing her a lot of pain, which she appeared to be a master at hiding. Hannibal quickly got to inspecting her shoulder, finding there was no dislocation or break and placed the ice he had gathered against her injured joint.

"I bruise easily" Krissy mumbled, after Hannibal quirked an eyebrow her way.

"Do you have any other injuries?" Hannibal asked as Krissy was quick to shake her head.

She was lying, and was obviously becoming uncomfortable with having the two men fuss over her. Hannibal gave her a small nod, knowing he wasn't going to get anything else out of her and turned to Will. The man seemed even more twitchy than normal, his eyes darting everywhere but Krissy. Interesting.

* * *

The next day, true to her word, Abigail took them to her father's lodge and explained how Hobbs never wasted any part of his kills when they went hunting. It made Krissy sick to think how he would have done the same to the girls he killed. For a moment, she wished it was her that had shot Hobbs' and not Will.

"If he had just killed me, none of those other girls would be dead" Abigail cried, her eyes welling with tears.

"We don't know that. Your father…" Alana trailed off, as something red suddenly dripped onto Abigail's head.

The group looked up to see there was blood dripping down from the ceiling, and not just a small amount either. Krissy was quickly sprinting up the staircase, with Will following close behind. Krissy came to a halt when she spotted where the blood had come from. A dark-haired girl was hanging from antlers, which were displayed across the whole room. Blood pooled underneath the girl, as Krissy rushed forward to press her fingers against the girl's pulse. Nothing.

"We need ERT as the Hobbs' cabin" Will muttered into his phone, quickly hanging up the call.

"…She's dead" Krissy stuttered, pulling away, feeling bile rising up in her throat.

Will stepped forward, bringing a handkerchief out of his pocket, and lifting the girl's head up. Krissy's own gasp was cut off by a terrified wail from behind them, as they spotted Abigail standing at the top of the staircase.

"Marissa!" Abigail screamed as Alana was quick to wrap her arms around Abigail, trying to pull her away from the scene.

* * *

"Are you alright?" Jack questioned, having been called to the scene not long after, as he placed his hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"I'm not the one impaled on a stag's antlers" Krissy muttered.

"But you could have been, Krissy! What if this killer chose you? You're a similar age, height, look…this is too dangerous-" Jack began, as Krissy cut him off.

"If you didn't want me involved, you shouldn't have asked for my help with this case, dad" Krissy scoffed.

"Bella was the one who asked you to come back to Virginia. I was just…I was desperate" Jack admitted, as Krissy let out a sigh.

"I'm not backing down from these cases. I thought…I was going to. I thought I couldn't handle it. But…I guess Doctor Lecter was right. I'm strong enough to do this. I'm not prepared to let another girl die. I want to stop this killer, and I'm not going to let that go" Krissy explained, as her father shook his head.

"You always were so damn stubborn" Jack muttered, as Krissy scoffed.

"I get that from you" She pointed out, as his lips twitched into a smile, and he went to walk away.

"Go easy on Will, okay? He's trying" Krissy spoke up, as Jack began to walk towards the stairs.

"Clearly not enough" Jack retorted, leaving Krissy with her own thoughts.

"Garrett Jacob Hobbs never struck his victims. Why would the copycat do it?" Krissy heard Jack ask from upstairs a few minutes later, as her curiosity forced her towards the staircase.

"I think he was provoked. Nicholas Boyle murdered this girl and his own sister" Hannibal suggested, making Krissy frown as she stepped onto the landing.

"That seems like a bit of a jump. Why would he want to kill his own sister?" Krissy pointed out.

"Almost fifty per cent of females are killed by a family member" Hannibal stated, knowing why Krissy was so against what he was saying.

"So did Nicholas kill with or without Abigail Hobbs?" Jack inquired.

"Without" Will stated, his eyes firmly on Marissa's corpse.

"Well, do you think that Abigail Hobbs knew Nicholas or Cassie Boyle?" Jack asked as Will shook his head.

"She said she didn't know them" Will insisted, looking to Hannibal for support.

"Doctor Bloom says that Abigail has a penchant for, uh, manipulation. Is she manipulating you, Will?" Jack exclaimed as Krissy rolled her eyes, seeing that her father clearly hadn't taken in what she had said.

"Agent Crawford..." Hannibal said, a protective tone to his voice.

"Look, he said he was wrong about the copycat killer. I want to know what else he's wrong about" Jack went on, as Krissy got in between the pair.

"You never would have caught Hobbs' in the first place without him. You'd probably have thought he killed Cassie Boyle too. All the leads in this case, are thanks to Will…are you really gonna' hound him for doing his job?" Krissy scolded, as Will seemed a little taken aback by her speech.

"…Whoever killed the girl on the field killed this girl, I'm right about that. He knew exactly how to mount the body. Wound patterns are almost identical to Cassie Boyle. Same design, the same humiliation" Will stated.

"Abigail Hobbs is not a killer. But she could be the target of one" Hannibal warned, as Jack's jaw tensed, clearly realising he wasn't going to win the fight.

"I think it's time that Abigail Hobbs left home permanently. Doctor, would you be good enough to collect Abigail and all of her belongings and escort her out of Minnesota, please?" Jack asked Hannibal, who looked to Will for a moment, before nodding.

"Not you, Will. I want you here" Jack insisted, as he saw Will take a step away.

"C'mon, Krissy. Let's go" Jack announced when he noticed she hadn't moved.

"I think I'm gonna' stay here with Will…he might need some help getting into this killer's head" Krissy replied, as Jack looked conflicted for a moment.

"There's a killer stalking these woods. It's not safe-" Jack began, as Krissy quickly cut him off.

"But it's safe for Will to stay here on his own?" Krissy retorted as Jack let out a long sigh.

"…I'll leave a police escort downstairs for you two" Jack muttered, clearly annoyed.

"Thanks, dad!" Krissy called after him, as Jack simply grunted in return.

Hannibal's lips twitched into a smile at the interaction, his eyes following Krissy's gaze as she looked back at the body. Everything was coming together. Marissa was the perfect victim. It put a wrench in Will's theory, gave the scapegoat of Nicholas Boyle…not to mention her rudeness towards Krissy the day before. Would Krissy appreciate his actions if she knew the truth, Hannibal thought to himself.


	4. Hunch

The moment Krissy heard about the attack at the Hobbs' house she was suspicious. How a man as unstable as Nicholas Boyle was able to overpower Alana and Hannibal, and then simply run away after being conveniently scratched by Abigail…was not something she could believe. If Hannibal's theory was correct, this man was a ruthless killer who murdered his own sister. So how did he become overpowered by a teenager? Krissy was making her way through the house to find Hannibal when she stumbled upon Abigail. She was sitting on her couch, a blanket over her shoulders, and two police officers standing nearby. It seemed Jack also didn't believe Abigail's story.

"Abigail…are you alright?" Krissy questioned, coming to sit beside the younger girl.

"I think so" Abigail mumbled, fidgeting under Krissy's intense gaze.

"I heard Nicholas got away" Krissy exclaimed, as Abigail nodded, shakily.

"I couldn't stop him" Abigail told her.

"Oh, I think you've done enough, Abigail" Krissy stated, as the girl's eyes snapped up to hers.

"…I remember what you said to me in the hospital while I was in a coma. I…I could hear everything" Abigail admitted, as Krissy's eyes widened, knowing what she whispered.

"I said I don't believe you" Krissy confessed, as Abigail's eyes darted nervously around the room.

"Do you believe me now?" Abigail inquired, making Krissy raise an eyebrow.

"No" Krissy replied, in an almost dismissive tone.

"Are you going to tell your dad?" Abigail panicked, with wide eyes.

"My dad works on evidence. I have nothing other than a hunch…at the moment" Krissy exclaimed; a threat clear in her voice.

"Why didn't you say anything earlier? You acted like you didn't remember" Abigail frowned.

"Maybe I was hoping I was wrong about you…did you kill Marissa?" Krissy asked as Abigail shook her head vehemently.

"No! No, I wouldn't…she was my friend!" Abigail insisted her raised voice causing the officers still in the room to turn towards her.

"Like the girls were that you picked out for your dad?" Krissy suggested, causing Abigail to audibly gulp.

The younger girl opened and closed her mouth a few times, obviously wanting to protest her innocence. Under Krissy's cold gaze, Abigail seemed to think better of it and simply looked down to her feet instead, with a guilty expression.

"Stay away from Will" Krissy warned her, as Abigail's forehead wrinkled.

"What?" Abigail questioned.

"He cares about you, and we both know you'd use that for your own advantage…stay away" Krissy practically snarled before she pushed herself off the couch and walked away.

She had tried to compose herself by the time she found Hannibal in one of the bedrooms, standing in front of a mirror, as he inspected the stitches hidden in his hairline. His eyes snapped up as he quickly noticed Krissy leaning against the doorframe, her arms crossed.

"Why'd you do it?" Krissy asked, as Hannibal turned to her slowly.

"You will need to be more specific" Hannibal informed her, causing her to scoff harshly.

"Lie for Abigail" Krissy exclaimed, watching Hannibal tilt his head towards her.

He seemed to assess the situation almost clinically, before moving towards her and shutting the bedroom door quietly. Turning around, he expected to see Krissy would have at least been unnerved by his actions, but instead, he found her sitting on the bed with an exasperated expression.

"I'm not sure what you-" Hannibal started, but Krissy was quick to cut him off.

"Don't insult my intelligence by lying to me, Hannibal" Krissy snapped, as Hannibal's jaw tensed.

"Abigail is not the predator you think she is," Hannibal told her, as Krissy shook her head.

"I think she's a bloody snake. She's got you and Will wrapped around her little finger. What really happened tonight?" Krissy insisted as Hannibal came to sit beside her on the bed.

"Nicholas Boyle came to this house to attack Abigail. He was stopped" Hannibal clarified.

"Is he dead?" Krissy questioned, as Hannibal quirked an eyebrow.

"Are you planning to go to Jack with the information you have?" Hannibal retorted, changing the subject quickly.

"Funny, that's just what Abigail asked me" Krissy muttered.

"You have confronted Abigail?" Hannibal frowned, in almost scolding tone.

"Well, no one else was going to" Krissy scoffed.

"All I have done is try to protect Abigail…in the way her father wouldn't," Hannibal told her, as Krissy's eyes snapped up to his.

Hannibal's hand meanwhile was edging towards the pillow beside him, as he tried to assess whether the police officers in the front room would hear if he tried to suffocate Krissy. He couldn't tell how she would react. She would be shocked, yes…but the girl was unpredictable. She may have already put a plan in place in case her confrontation ended badly—

Hannibal couldn't keep the surprise off his face when Krissy suddenly placed her hand on his shoulder in what he expected was meant to be a comforting gesture. His forehead wrinkled as she let out a loud sigh, squeezing his shoulder lightly.

"Look, I get wanting to protect her…I really do. But trust me…you can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved" Krissy warned him.

"Abigail is not your brother" Hannibal replied, as Krissy's warm hand dropped away from his shoulder.

"No, she's not. But she is dangerous" Krissy insisted, pushing herself to her feet.

"…I'm not going to tell the police. I'd be a pretty big hypocrite if I did after all the secrets I kept for my brother. Besides, it's not like anyone would believe me anyway…they never do" Krissy explained, as she walked over to the door.

"Thank you" Hannibal nodded, as Krissy pulled the door open, and the hall light shone into the room.

"See you on Friday" Krissy mumbled, walking out of the room.

* * *

Will frowned when he heard a tapping at his front door, resulting in an orchestra of barks, as he cautiously peeked through his window. He was surprised to see Krissy standing there, a bag in her hand, as she waved at him through the glass, a friendly smile on her face.

"What are you doing here?" Will questioned, opening the door.

"Your all charm, Graham" Krissy teased, her eyes dropping down to see he was only in a thin shirt and briefs.

"And seemingly undressed" Will muttered, his cheeks flushing slightly.

"I don't mind" Krissy shrugged, with a smirk.

Before either of them could say anything else, a brown dog was charging out of the house and barking happily at Krissy's ankles. Will watched as her face morphed into pure joy as she crouched down to stroke the dog's silky fur, as the animal licked at her face excitedly. The other dogs were quick to follow, all showing a great interest in the girl.

"Winston's not usually so fond of people" Will stated, as Krissy looked up to him.

"Well, I'm not most people" Krissy grinned, stroking the dog behind his ears.

"How'd you know where I lived?" Will inquired, a moment later, curiously.

"Alana told me" Krissy answered, pushing herself to her feet.

"She sent you to check up on me?" Will scoffed, lightly.

"No. I was worried about you and asked her. She figured you could use a friend" Krissy shrugged.

"We're friends?" Will queried, unsurely.

"What is it with you and Hannibal and your aversion to friends?" Krissy shook her head, as Will took a step back to let her into his house.

"I make people feel…uncomfortable" Will replied, having trouble finding the right word.

"And that's exactly one of the things I like about you" Krissy grinned, as her eyes began to survey his front room.

"I'll go put some pants on" Will mumbled, before making a speedy exit.

This allowed Krissy more time to take in her surroundings, helping to fill in some of the blanks she had about who Will Graham was. He was certainly smart, that was clear from the number of books on his bookshelf. Her eyes widen when she saw a piano in the far corner, never having expected Will to be able to play. The rest of the room was filled up with different parts of fishing or boat equipment, more like a workshop than a home. She made her way over to a stack of drawers, finding identical clothes inside, all stacked neatly against each other. Will clearly liked things to be organised, she realised as she looked over at a desk to see bottles of alcohol in some sort of order. There was one thing she noticed was missing. Pictures.

"If I had known you were coming, I would have cleared up-" Will began, as Krissy stopped him with a shake of her hand.

"I'm living with my dad right now, so I'm not exactly in a place to judge" Krissy stated.

"Living with Jack Crawford. What's that like?" Will asked, with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"It's not so bad" Krissy shrugged, not meeting Will's eyes.

"You've got no photos. You got a history of bad hair days or something?" Krissy questioned, a moment later.

"I don't like photos. I find them unsettling" Will answered, as Krissy mulled it over.

"All those eyes right?" Krissy suggested as Will's forehead wrinkled, before nodding slowly.

"I burnt all the pictures I had…they creeped me out" Krissy clarified, as she flopped down on one of Will's armchairs.

Almost instantly, Winston strolled over to her, placing his head on her lap, causing a smile to spread over her lips. Will came to sit in the armchair beside them, amazed at how the young girl seemed so readily accepted into his 'pack'.

"Why are you really here?" Will questioned, as she tilted her head.

"I told you. I was worried about you. Once we got to the Hobbs' house after hearing what happened with Nicholas, you just disappeared" Krissy explained, seeing how Will practically flinched at the mention of the Hobbs' house.

"I was tired" Will mumbled, as Krissy gave him a sympathetic look.

"You still look tired" Krissy pointed out, as Will ran a hand over his face.

"I don't sleep well" Will admitted before he could stop himself.

"…Was Hobbs's the first guy you killed?" Krissy questioned, watching Will nod tensely.

"I tried so hard to know Garrett Jacob Hobbs…to see him. Past the slides and phials, beyond the lines of the police reports, between the pixels of all those…printed faces of sad dead girls" Will explained, breathing heavily, his eyes darting widely.

"You opened a door in your head and let him in…and now you can't get him out?" Krissy suggested, as Will gave her a strange look.

"Everything keeps coming back to him. Abigail, this copycat, Marissa Schurr..." Will trailed off, shakily.

"You feel guilty about what happened to her?" Krissy guessed.

"I feel like I killed her" Will admitted, as Krissy's eyes widened.

Will was surprised when Krissy suddenly leaned forward and gripped his arm, bringing him out of the trance he had been in. He hadn't even admitted that truth to himself before, so why did he tell her?

"Hey, you can't say things like that. Not to anyone…people will get the wrong idea" Krissy insisted, her hand still touching his arm.

"I know I'm not Garrett Jacob Hobbs" Will told her, as Krissy gave him a sad look.

"I know that too. I'm just…I'm trying to look out for you" Krissy informed him, causing Will to frown.

"Why?" Will asked, as if he couldn't understand.

"Because you're a good person, Will. And I don't want to see anyone drag you down" Krissy informed him, suddenly becoming aware that she was still touching his arm.

"Sorry. I know your not a big fan of touching-" Krissy began, with a sheepish expression, but Will quickly cut her off.

"People aren't big fans of touching me" Will clarified, surprising Krissy.

* * *

"What the hell, dad? Bella said you had a case, why haven't you…" Krissy trailed off, when she stepped into the examination room to see four corpses laid out on autopsy tables.

"We don't need your help with this one, Krissy" Jack told her, taking a step forward, holding his hands out.

"Where'd you get that idea? We have no leads, no suspects" Beverley stated, as Krissy quirked an eyebrow at Jack.

"It's a family massacre. I don't want you to-" Jack began in a hushed voice, only to be cut off by Krissy.

"I can handle it" Krissy hissed, embarrassment flushing her cheeks.

"I'd like her help" Will exclaimed, as all heads turned to him.

"What have we got?" Krissy questioned.

"The Turner family. Killed at their dinner table. Mr Turner and the kids were killed simultaneously, but Mrs Turner was left for last" Jimmy informed her, handing her the police report.

"No sign of forced entry?" Krissy questioned, taking away the crime scene picture that was paperclipped to the document and placing it on the table, away from eyes.

"Nope. Hell, we think they probably pressed the doorbell" Brian added, as Krissy's forehead wrinkled in concentration.

"This report says the shots were taken from a crouching position?" Krissy questioned.

"Elevated termination points match for the scene with these bodies. Angular cranial impact, coupled with acute exit wounds, conical spray. Shooter went low to high…so yes, probably crouching" Brian explained, seeing that he had lost Krissy halfway through.

"What if he wasn't crouching?" Krissy suggested, looking at Mrs Turner's body.

"You think are shooter's four foot?" Beverley questioned, confused.

"They had another child. Jesse. Went missing a year ago" Will announced, as Krissy's eyes connected with his.

"I think Jesse came home" Krissy stated, as Jack let out a long sigh.

"And what makes you think that?" Jack asked.

"She didn't try to fight back. Her whole family had just been butchered in front of her…she didn't want to fight her attacker. She couldn't" Krissy went on.

"She forgave him. A mother's forgiveness" Will agreed.

"Krissy, can I have a word with you outside?" Jack exclaimed, a moment later.

"Looks like someone's getting put on the naughty step" Brian mumbled, with a teasing tone.

"Go back to fondling Jimmy under the table, Zeller" Krissy rolled her eyes, as his jaw dropped open.

Beverley almost squawked with laughter as Jack led his daughter out of the room, his own lips twitching into a smile. Will, however, was more interested in Jack's apprehension for letting Krissy look at the case. Why was he so worried about her?

"This is exactly why I didn't want you on this case" Jack shook his head, as he led Krissy into his office.

"I'm right, dad" Krissy insisted.

"You see a family massacre and your mind goes straight to your brother. Now, that's not your fault Krissy, but it affects-" Jack began, as Krissy scoffed harshly.

"I know Ken didn't kill the Turner family!" Krissy barked, with her voice raised.

"There's no evidence to back up your 'hunch'" Jack pointed out, as Krissy's mind went to Abigail, only making her grow angrier.

"Will agrees with me" Krissy said, crossing her arms.

"It seems you and Will Graham agree on a lot these days" Jack accused, raising an eyebrow.

"He wasn't wrong about the copycat. He was just…" Krissy trailed off, as a realisation hit her.

The killer wanted to put a wrench in Will's theory. Will believed the copycat would never kill in the same way again, that he wouldn't leave any evidence. But Marissa's crime scene seemed so messy. How did he know that would go against Will's theory?

"Krissy, I don't want you on this case" Jack told her, causing Krissy's jaw to tense.

"Wow, thanks dad. Your faith in me is so touching" Krissy scoffed, as she stormed over to the door.

"I'm just trying to protect you!" Jack exclaimed, as Krissy wrenched the door open and left without another word.

* * *

"It's ridiculous! He's still treating me like a child!" Krissy announced, after ranting in Doctor Lecter's office for the past ten minutes.

"It is a father's natural reaction to want to shield their offspring from harm. Your smart enough to understand this" Hannibal pointed out, feeling like there was more to her anger.

"…It makes me feel weak. I'm doubting myself…maybe I am just seeing what I want to see" Krissy mumbled, running a hand through her hair.

"Your instincts have never been wrong in the past" Hannibal stated.

"This kid didn't come from an abusive household. At the most, there could have been some neglect. But that's it. So, I don't understand why he'd want to kill his whole family" Krissy went on.

"It sounds like you are in desperate need for Will Graham's expertise" Hannibal suggested, as Krissy shook her head.

"He's stumped too. We're missing something. Something obvious…" Krissy trailed off.

"Why did your brother kill?" Hannibal questioned, as Krissy's eyes snapped up to his, but he got no reply.

"I can't help you if you aren't willing to open up to me," Hannibal told her, as Krissy let out a long sigh.

"He was manipulated, abused, pressured…take your pick" Krissy muttered.

"We know this child was not abused. Perhaps he too is being manipulated?" Hannibal suggested.

"By his kidnapper. Jesse killed his mum last. Maybe there's a reason for that" Krissy realised; her forehead wrinkled in concentration.

"You have one of your hunches?" Hannibal queried, as Krissy nodded.

"Then what are you still doing in my office?" Hannibal asked as a smirk spread over Krissy's lips, as she pushed herself to her feet.

She was quick to rush over to the door, placing her hand on the doorknob, before she stopped herself. She needed to address the elephant in the room before she left.

"My dad still doesn't buy Abigail's story. He'll find out the truth soon enough. It's not too late to protect yourself" Krissy exclaimed, as Hannibal gave her a questioning look.

"You still haven't told him what you know?" Hannibal questioned, as she shook her head.

"Like he said about this case. There's no evidence. Until he finds that evidence, he won't believe anything I have to say" Krissy explained.

"You're keeping important information from the police. You could be arrested. Why keep this a secret?" Hannibal pushed further.

"Plausible deniability. Surely if I had any reason to believe you were covering for Abigail I wouldn't keep coming to these sessions, right?" Krissy pointed out, causing Hannibal to smirk.

"See you at our next week, Doctor" Krissy grinned, as she opened the door and left the room, leaving Hannibal to his thoughts.

Krissy was truly living up to his expectations, managing to surprise him on several occasions. She was involved in a dangerous game and didn't even realise she was a player. He wanted to see how far he could keep pushing her until she pushed back. Just how similar was she to her brother?

* * *

"Can I come in, Professor Graham?" Krissy teased, as she stood in the doorway of Will's large lecture hall.

"I'm not a Professor, Krissy" Will shook his head, fondly.

"Too bad. The name suits you" Krissy grinned, as she came to stand beside his desk.

"Is this a social call or…?" Will trailed off, as they both knew the truth.

"Beverley told me that you guys found another crime scene. Similar to the first, but with an added horror. A child's corpse in the fireplace" Krissy announced.

"Connor Frist. We found his prints at the Turner Family scene…there were at least three over footprints too" Will informed her.

"You got any theories yet?" Krissy questioned, jumping up onto the desk, her legs hanging off the edge.

Will seemed to suddenly become aware of how close she was to him, as he pushed his chair a few inches back, his eyes darting towards the floor. Krissy quickly realised why he looked so awkward, looking down to see how her skirt had ridden up.

"Am I making you feel uncomfortable?" Krissy questioned, not sure if she was pushing the nervous man too far.

"Uh…no. Quite the opposite" Will muttered, fidgeting with his glasses on his lap.

"I make you feel too comfortable?" Krissy frowned, confused.

"You don't treat me like the others. Why?" Will asked, his eyes snapping up to hers.

"Because I don't see you like a museum exhibit, Will. You're just a man. Clever, and with some great hair…but still just a man" Krissy shrugged, as Will's lips twitched into a smile for just a moment.

"…The bullets used at the scene match three used in a murder a year ago. A thirteen-year old's mother was killed with her own gun. CJ. It seems he might be the leader to our 'lost boys'" Will explained, changing the subject.

"Any history of abuse?" Krissy asked, watching Will shake his head.

"It still doesn't make sense. This is all seems to be about motherhood. But why would CJ make them kill the mothers last?" Krissy wondered, aloud.

"Do you have your own theory?" Will questioned, as Krissy bit her lip.

"I think the leader might be someone else. A mother. Or at least someone who's desperate to be a mother" Krissy explained.

"A mother manipulating her son's into killing?" Will replied, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I know. It sounds like part of my damn autobiography or something" Krissy sighed.

"Jack doesn't want you on this case" Will told her.

"Well, I've never been one to listen to my dad's advice" Krissy mumbled, pushing herself off the desk.

"…How did she do it?" Will asked, a moment later, as Krissy frowned at him.

"Your mother. How did she…mould your brother into what he is now?" Will clarified.

"If I knew that maybe I'd have been able to save him" Krissy mumbled, before turning on her heel, not wanting to talk anymore about it.

* * *

Krissy had been up most of the night looking through different databases to find any strange occurrences with a woman and a group of children in the area the 'Lost Boys' were likely to be. She had just been thinking about giving up when she came across a statement from a rest stop employee about a strange woman and her two sons. It seemed that one of her son's had wet himself right by the counter, the employee stated that the boy seemed completely terrified. She was able to look at the footage that the employee had sent into the police and felt a chill go down her spine as she watched it through. The woman had a friendly voice as she talked to her son, telling him insistently not to worry about it…but Krissy could see how she clutched on roughly to his wrist as she led him away. The boy looked back to the employee, with fear in his eyes that Krissy had rarely seen before. It looked like he was almost begging the man to help him. She was quickly able to look up the boy using facial recognition, her eyes widening when she saw he was on the missing children database. Grabbing her jacket, she was rushing to her car without a second's thought, calling her father as she reversed out of the car park. She groaned when it went straight to voicemail, slamming her hand against the steering wheel.

"Dad, I think I've found them. Fayetteville, North Carolina. I'm driving there now. Pick up your bloody phone!" She cried, pressing down on the accelerator.

It was a long drive to Fayetteville, and luckily Jack picked up halfway through her journey, but he and any backup he could offer would still be trailing behind her. He insisted that she waited, but Krissy knew by then it could be too late. Another family could be dead. She wasn't going to let that happen. Krissy's heart beat wildly in her chest as she approached the front porch of Chris O'Halloran's house, finding the door had been left ajar. Of course it had, Krissy thought to herself with a sigh. She was really wishing she had a gun as she made her way through the house, hearing shouts from outside. Krissy picked up the nearest weapon she could find, a surprisingly large kitchen knife and silently opened the sliding doors to the garden. Her eyes widened as she saw a group of boys, one of whom had a gun raised at who she expected was the O'Halloran family. Without a second's thought, she raised her arm and sent the knife flying, as the sharp blade sliced the older boy's arm as it flew past, not quite making its target, but it still had the desired effect. She made a mental note to thank her father for letting her go to so many dart competitions when she was younger. The boy, who Krissy guessed was CJ, let out a cry as he dropped his gun to the floor. Krissy was quick to rush forward, grabbing the gun from his hand, as the other boys dropped to the ground.

"Get on your knees…now!" Krissy yelled, as CJ reluctantly kneeled.

Out of her peripheral vision, she saw a gate open further down the garden, and saw a Chris and the older woman from the rest stop walking through. Krissy's mouth dropped open as she saw the young boy was holding a gun and froze for a moment.

"Hands in the air! Both of you!" Krissy announced but made no move to raise her gun.

Krissy felt her blood boil as the older woman smirked, grabbing Chris by the wrist, and pulling him away. They both knew that Krissy wasn't going to be able to shoot the young boy. Krissy quickly started to chase the pair, sprinting over the grass, and pushing the gate open they had come through. She almost ran into the pool that was hidden behind the gate, sliding to a halt.

"It's over! Let him go!" Krissy shouted, as the woman turned, grabbing the gun from Chris and aiming it at Krissy.

"Let him go?! He's mine! No one is going to take him from me!" The woman screeched, a manic look in her eyes, as Krissy raised her own gun towards her.

"Chris…hey, look at me! I need you to walk towards me. I'm not gonna' hurt you. I want to help" Krissy insisted, holding her hand out.

"Don't listen to her, Christopher" The woman argued, sliding her arm over his shoulder.

"She's not your mum. Your real mum is back there. This…this imposter is just using you! She doesn't care about you, Chris! She wouldn't do this if she did" Krissy went on, as Chris's eyes darted between the two women.

"I just wanted to help you find your real family. And I have…you can't leave us now" The woman told Chris.

"She's insane, Chris! Just listen to her, it's over. It's all over. If you come with me now…we can make things right. You don't have to be like this" Krissy cried, taking a step forward.

"Stay back!" The woman warned her, her finger itching to pull the trigger.

"Are you a killer, Chris? Is that who you really are?" Krissy asked, stepping closer, regardless of the woman's warnings.

"N-no…I don't want to hurt anyone…" Chris mumbled, tears welling in his eyes.

"You've disappointed me, Christopher" The woman scolded, her hand tightening on his shoulder.

Before Krissy had time to react, the woman had thrown Chris into the pool, as he splashed around manically. Krissy's eyes darted between the two, as she edged towards the water, hearing Chris splutter as the water pulled him down.

"He…help! I can't…swim! H-help!" Chris choked, dropping under the water's surface.

With gritted teeth, Krissy made her decision immediately and dived into the pool. She was quick to get her arms around Chris, pulling him back to the surface easily. Chris sobbed as he clung onto Krissy, as she swam towards the pool's edge, feeling him shake against her. She was able to easily push him out of the pool, due to his age and decreased weight, and looked around for where his kidnapper had gone. Krissy frowned as she saw the woman was nowhere to be seen and wondered whether she had tried to escape. Suddenly, Krissy felt a hand grab her hair as she was roughly shoved under the water's surface, letting out a choked gasp. Krissy thrashed manically against the attacker's arms, but they just pressed down harder. Krissy screamed under the water, as she could just about make out Chris's kidnapper was the attacker. She felt water stream into her mouth, her heart hammering in her chest, as a sense of doom washed over her. Krissy's head felt like it was being crushed by an invisible force as she gasped for air. She was going to die. She was dying. Not knowing what else she could do, Krissy went still suddenly, surprising the woman. Krissy let herself slowly float towards the surface as the grip on her head lessened. The woman clearly thought she was either unconscious or dead.

"Christopher…come here…" Krissy could hear the muted words come from the woman, who had turned away from her.

Silently, Krissy pushed her face above the water's surface, sucking a quick breath before surging forward. Grabbing the back of the woman's head, she slammed it into the edge of the pool as hard as she could. Once, twice, three times, until blood was pouring out of the woman's skull and discolouring the water around them. Krissy's hand shook from where it was tangled in the woman's hair as she heard her gurgle out a laugh.

"I…I know an orphan when I see one-" The woman began but was cut off as Krissy shoved her head against the pool even harder, blood splattering over her.

She kept going until the woman's face was completely disfigured, her skull cracked and leaking blood all over Krissy. She could hear someone screaming from nearby, and realised that it was her own voice. Krissy let the woman's now unrecognisable face drop under the surface, wiping blood away from her clouded vision. Her shaking hands gripped onto the bloody edge of the pool, panting heavily. Her head snapped up as she heard screaming from nearby, and saw Chris trying to crawl away from her, a terrified expression on his face.

"Chris…I…I had to…wait…" Krissy exclaimed, as she tried to push herself out of the pool.

Before she could, a hand slammed down near her head, as she turned to see a familiar figure kneeling beside the pool. Krissy's heart thumped so hard she thought it would burst through her chest, as panic coursed through her veins. She didn't think it was possible, but now she was even more scared than she was a moment ago.

"Ken?" She gaped, as her brother smirked down at her.

He moved to hold his hand out to her, as blood dripped down his fingers, a sinister look in his eyes. Krissy frowned at the offered limb as she felt a shiver go down her spine. Her brother wasn't there. He couldn't be.

"No…no…your not real…You're not real!" Krissy panted, as she scrunched her eyes shut.

With her hands balled into fists, her eyes slowly fluttered open a second later to find there was no one there. Only Chris looking even more scared, as he pushed himself to his feet, almost slipping as he did so. Krissy practically jumped out of her skin when she felt hands suddenly touch her arms and looked up to see Will looking down at her. Krissy didn't trust herself to talk as he and another man, dressed in a S.W.A.T uniform helped to pull her out of the pool. Krissy's whole body shook as she looked down at her hands, feeling bile rise in her throat. She felt like she was seconds away from a panic attack.

"Krissy, where is she?" Will questioned, as Krissy's eyes snapped up to his."I…I killed her…" Krissy trailed off, turning towards the pool.

Will's face paled as he could see the blood that coated the surface of the pool near them, and the clear outline of a corpse at the bottom. The relief he had felt at seeing Krissy alive was slowly wearing off, but he kept his hands gripping her arms tightly. He was worried they might have been too late. Blood was splattered all over her face, coating her eyelashes, all the way down to her neck. It looked like she had been involved in a massacre. He heard footsteps racing behind him and turned to see Jack crouching down and quickly pulling Krissy into his arms as if he could shield her from the world. Will frowned when he saw another familiar face walking towards the pool. Hannibal Lecter. Krissy's traumatised cries made him turn away from his psychiatrist, as Will realised he was still holding onto one of her arms and found for once he didn't want to pull away.

Hannibal's eyes practically devoured the sight of Krissy drenched in blood, as he licked his lips, clearly having got the answer to his earlier question.


	5. The Right Reaction

Hannibal was quick to respond after receiving a phone call from a panicked Jack Crawford about his daughter. He reported that in the days since the 'incident', Krissy had barely left her room and was refusing to speak to Jack, or anyone else for that matter. Jack had told Hannibal that he was worried she was going to do something stupid, **_again. _**With his interest piqued, it wasn't long before Hannibal found himself standing outside Krissy's bedroom door, tentatively tapping at the wooden door with his knuckles. He waited a few seconds and received no reply, causing him to knock a little harder this time.

"Just go away, Dad" Krissy's voice mumbled from inside.

"Your father is not here, Krissy. Please open the door" Hannibal requested, finding his only reply was silence.

Just as Hannibal opened his mouth to protest further, he heard the click of the door unlocking, as his lips twitched into a smile. He quietly opened the door, as the light from the hallway illuminated the dark room, where the curtains had been drawn. It took Hannibal a few moments to spot Krissy, who was sitting on the floor beside her bed, a bottle of vodka in her hands, already half empty. A most unhealthy coping mechanism, Hannibal thought to himself as he closed the door behind himself. Krissy made no attempt to greet him, only placing the bottle to her lips, and taking a swig of the alcohol. Hannibal debated for a moment about opening the curtains but thought against it. The darkness was an environment both of them were used to.

"Jack is concerned about your wellbeing. Is his concern valid?" Hannibal asked, coming to sit on her bed, close to where she was sitting on the floor.

"I just need some space" Krissy stated, resting the bottle against her knee.

"You're feeling trapped?" Hannibal suggested, looking down at the young girl in the dim lighting.

"Everyone expects me to react a certain way right now…I don't want to have to live up to anyone's expectations again" Krissy admitted.

Hannibal remembered well how the press had analysed every aspect of Krissy's behaviour when the headlines hit, and expected she received the same treatment from everyone she encountered. Hannibal wondered what would be considered normal behaviour after cracking someone's skull open, even if it was in self defence?

"…Do you think I'm a bad person, Hannibal?" Krissy inquired; her voice thick with emotion.

**_Guilt. _**A most reasonable emotion to be feeling. If that was truly how Krissy felt, why was she so afraid of being around others after the incident?

"I think people concern themselves too much with good and evil. The line between the two is very thin. There is no black and white, only a mixture of grey" Hannibal explained, as Krissy turned to look up at him.

"You still didn't answer my question" Krissy pointed out.

"You're not a bad person, Krissy. But I do believe you have violent tendencies. Anger and aggression were all you knew for many years, it is only natural that you would still react in such a way" Hannibal went on, as Krissy scoffed.

"So, what you're saying is I'm fucked up" Krissy muttered, resting her head on her knees.

"You are not beyond help. But you must ask for it" Hannibal told her, getting no reply in return.

Hannibal allowed himself to look around the room properly for the first time since he entered. Krissy seemed to live a very minimalistic life, only having one set of drawers and a dresser in the room. Her possessions were just as scarce, seeming to only own what she would consider essentials. He noticed a suitcase in the corner of the room filled with clothes, a picture frame with a photo of Krissy and Jack laid on the top.

"Are you planning on going somewhere?" Hannibal asked, as Krissy's eyes snapped to the case.

"I don't want my dad to be associated with what I did. It was already hard enough on him when he first adopted me" Krissy exclaimed.

"Jack doesn't care about other's opinions. He only cares about you" Hannibal insisted.

"He shouldn't" Krissy sighed.

"It is natural to feel guilt over an incident like this" Hannibal told her, as Krissy mulled over his comment.

"But that's just the thing…I don't. I don't feel guilty about killing her, I…I'd do it again. The only thing I feel guilty for is Chris watching what I did. I know first-hand how that can change someone" Krissy went on, pleasantly surprising Hannibal.

That was why she didn't want to be around her family and friends. She couldn't fake feeling guilty for murdering her attacker. Something which many would consider abnormal considering how violently she had acted.

"Would you like to talk about what happened?" Hannibal suggested.

"I already told the police everything" Krissy replied.

"I think you will find I am a little more understanding than your average officer" Hannibal pointed out.

"…She threw Chris in the pool. He couldn't swim, so I jumped in after him. I thought she would make a run for it but…then I was getting pushed under the water. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't even scream. I thought…I thought I was going to die. I tried to fight against her but she was too strong" Krissy explained, scrunching her eyes shut as she felt the water running back into her mouth again.

"Then what happened?" Hannibal pushed.

"I stopped fighting. She must have thought I was dead. I heard her calling over to Chris and I just…I saw red. I just kept hitting her over and over. I couldn't stop" Krissy admitted, as Hannibal ran his tongue over his lips, seeing the images clear as day in his imagination.

"I can't sleep. Every time I close my eyes…I feel the water racing into my mouth. I choke on it. All the time" Krissy mumbled, shivering slightly.

"You need to sleep, Krissy. I can prescribe you something" Hannibal offered, as Krissy's forehead wrinkled.

"I don't want to be doped up" Krissy complained, turning to look at him.

"It will only be a temporary course. A small dosage of Lorazepam" Hannibal told her, picking his bag up from the floor, which Krissy hadn't even noticed before.

"I'd really rather not add a case of benzodiazepine withdrawal to my list of problems, Doctor" Krissy insisted.

"As I said, a small dosage. If it would make you feel better you could divide the dose. Two 0.5mg tablets. Then we cut it down to one tablet a day soon after…" Hannibal trailed off, opening his bag and quickly fishing out a bottle.

"You always carry meds in your bag?" Krissy frowned, quirking an eyebrow.

"I planned ahead" Hannibal told her, as she took the bottle from his hands.

Little did Krissy know how true this statement was. Hannibal had indeed planned, transferring 4mg tablets into the bottle, meaning Krissy would be receiving a dose of 8mg a day, far above the recommended amount. His imagination ran wild at the possibilities this could lead to. Among the more common side effects of depression, mood alterations and confusion, on such a high dosage one could hope the more serious effects such as amnesia, hallucinations or even aggression.

"What are you doing here, Hannibal?" Krissy questioned, a moment later.

"Jack asked me to-" Hannibal began, but Krissy cut him off quickly.

"You didn't have to come. I'm not really one of your patients" Krissy stated.

"I have realised perhaps we are not too similar to become friendly. I want to help you, Krissy" Hannibal informed her, moving his hand to place on her shoulder, squeezing gently.

Hannibal kept his hand there, feeling Krissy relax against him, clearly finding the gesture comforting. Krissy was alike Will in many ways, both craving physical touch as they were both often denied such a thing. People expected physical contact would make Will uncomfortable and were simply too afraid to touch Krissy. Hannibal found himself enjoying having this power over the pair, a further act of dominance in the trio's relationship.

* * *

Krissy looked down at her plate with wide eyes, feeling her palms sweat a little. She was regretting agreeing to accompany her father and Bella to dinner at Hannibal Lecter's more and more with every passing second. Krissy had to admit she felt better since taking the medication Hannibal had given her, finally being able to sleep. Jack could see this change and insisted that she had to come, that it would have been rude otherwise. Growing up it had been strange enough finding herself in a middle-class household compared to what she was used to. Hannibal, on the other hand, was probably the blueprint of an upperclassman. Krissy was uncomfortably out of her depth; debating on which knife and fork she was supposed to use. Her father didn't seem to have this worry, as he tucked into his dinner as soon as it was placed in front of him, beginning to tell Hannibal about how he and Bella had met. Krissy had to stop herself from rolling her eyes at listening to the story she had probably heard over a hundred times.

"I have no taste for animal cruelty, which is why I employ an ethical butcher" Hannibal announced, after Bella had protested about the meat on her plate.

"An ethical butcher? Be kind to animals and then eat them?" Bella mocked, as Krissy laughed lightly under her breath.

Hannibal didn't miss the way Bella's eyes snapped up to Krissy, obviously not appreciating her reaction. There was a clear tension between the two women that Hannibal had always suspected. Jack, as always, seemed to be completely oblivious too this, far too interested in his food. Rising from his seat, Hannibal went to pour his guests more wine, catching a familiar aroma when he approached Bella.

"Your perfume is exquisite. Similar to the aroma on the earth just after lightning strikes. Is it Dior?" Hannibal asked, as Bella gave him an impressed look.

"That is some nose you have there, Doctor" Bella nodded.

"He really is quite charming, isn't he?" Jack stated, as Hannibal smiled and walked over to refresh his glass.

He next sauntered towards Krissy, leaning down to pour the wine into her glass, that had barely been touched, just as her food. He wondered if she shared the same views as her adoptive mother.

"I first noticed my keen sense of smell when I was a young man. I was aware one of my teachers had stomach cancer even before he was…" Hannibal trailed off, his eyes finding Bella's across the table.

"Wow, that must have been some parlour trick" Jack exclaimed, as Hannibal felt Krissy freeze beside him.

_**She knew.**_ Of course, she did. He expected it was difficult for anyone to keep a secret from someone like Krissy for long, something which he had to pay heed to. Taking the opportunity of being so close to Krissy, he inhaled deeply. A delightful aroma of roses hit him instantly, as he felt his lips twitch into a smile.

"For our next course, roasted pork shank. And I assure you, Bella, it was an especially supercilious pig" Hannibal grinned, as Bella scoffed under her breath.

"…Krissy, would you help me prepare in the kitchen?" Hannibal requested, as their eyes connected for a moment, a challenge behind them.

Krissy was quick to nod, pushing her chair back and following him silently into the large kitchen. It was as impressive as the rest of Hannibal's home, everything seemed immaculate, almost obsessively so. Hannibal began to take three plates from a nearby cupboard, as Krissy waited for the questions she knew were coming.

"How long have you known?" Hannibal asked, placing oven gloves on to remove the meat from the oven.

"Two months" Krissy replied, knowing there was no point to lying.

"And Jack doesn't know?" Hannibal suggested, watching Krissy nod, before he crouched down and opened the oven.

"Bella doesn't want him to know yet. I figured she deserved some time to figure things out for herself" Krissy informed him, coming to stand beside him.

"It can't be easy. Lying to your father?" Hannibal went on, as he picked up a carving knife and got to work on the meat.

"It's not my secret to tell" Krissy stated, leaning against the counter.

"…Why is it your call Jack your father but Bella simply by her name?" Hannibal inquired, a moment later.

"Her own personal request" Krissy exclaimed, a hint of bitterness in her voice.

"Bella is a topic that you have avoided in our talks and I have allowed that. Until now" Hannibal challenged, placing the first piece of meat on a plate.

"This is dinner, not a therapy session, Hannibal" Krissy pointed out.

"You'd be surprised how often the two combines," Hannibal said, an amused smile on his face.

"…Jack was only supposed to be away for two weeks while investigating my brother's case. In the end, he was away for four months. And when he came back he had a traumatised thirteen-year-old girl with him who had been accused of countless murders…Jack didn't exactly give her a choice about taking me in" Krissy explained, as Hannibal listened intently.

"She resented you?" Hannibal questioned.

"She feared me" Krissy mumbled.

"And now?" Hannibal pushed.

"I think she has reluctantly accepted that if she wants to keep Jack in her life, that means she'll have to put up with me too" Krissy shrugged.

"It must have been difficult. Trading the abuse from your own biological mother, to the disdain from your adoptive mother" Hannibal went on, pouring some sauce onto the meat.

"Hard to say. I mean, clearly, I turned out so well" Krissy said sarcastically, as Hannibal's lips twitched into a smile.

"…I don't think she hates me anymore. At least not with the burning passion she used to" Krissy exclaimed.

"I find it very difficult to believe that anyone could hate you, Krissy" Hannibal informed her, watching Krissy shake her head fondly.

"Bella was never given a choice about adopting me. I want to give her a choice now, to decide when to tell my dad. Will you let her?" Krissy asked, as Hannibal mulled this over for a few seconds.

"Of course" Hannibal smiled, as he handed Krissy the first plateful.

"What kind of pig is this?" Krissy inquired, inhaling deeply, finding the aroma strange.

"The slow kind" Hannibal smirked, as Krissy giggled quietly, not realising just how true this was.

* * *

"Well, I heard your new case was kind of disturbing, but this is…a lot" Krissy announced, approaching her team, spotting the bodies that were splayed out in the lab, with their backs flayed to give them wings.

"Krissy…hey. Uh, we didn't expect you back so soon" Beverley greeted, awkwardly.

"I'm not back properly. I heard you guys were stumped on the latest case and figured it meant I could get out of my dad's hair for a couple of hours" Krissy shrugged.

"Be my guest" Beverley nodded, handing her the newest file on the case, as Krissy quickly scanned through the documents.

Brian and Jimmy were quiet as they continued their examinations on the body, not knowing what to say to the girl. Krissy could see the sympathetic look Beverley was giving her and while she appreciated the older woman caring, the last thing she wanted was anyone feeling sorry for her. Will watched Krissy silently from the corner, thinking about how the B.A.U was the last place he was expecting to find her. He found himself flashing back to the last time he saw her, tears running down her cheeks, mixed with blood splattered over her face. The mask she wore to hide how she was really feeling was stitched in so tightly, Will wondered if she even felt it anymore.

"He threw up at the crime scene?" Krissy asked, after a few minutes, finding the information strange.

"We thought he might not have been able to stomach what he had done…but Will has a different theory" Beverley exclaimed, ushering to the quiet man.

"He may have been excited. Feeling righteous. He felt he elevated these people" Will theorised, as Krissy nodded.

"People do throw up because of more than psychological reasons though. What about physical? Any medications in his vomit?" Krissy asked.

"Uh, Dexamethasone" Jimmy announced, taking a look at the list.

"That's used for patients with tumours" Brian frowned.

"Kepra..." Jimmy trailed off.

"He's epileptic. Radiation?" Brian asked, as Jimmy scanned the document.

"Gamma four" Jimmy replied, as Brian clicked his fingers.

"Steroids for the inflammation, anticonvulsants for the seizures, radiation for the chemotherapy. Our guy has a brain tumour" Brian informed them, as all eyes turned to Krissy.

"Good old fashion medical evidence strikes again" Krissy stated, as the men smirked.

"He's afraid of dying in his sleep. He's making angels to watch over him" Will realised, in a haunted tone.

"Nice thought" Krissy mumbled under her breath, so quietly that only Will could hear.

"Are you okay?" Will inquired, his eyes darting between hers and the floor.

"Yeah…I'm fine. Uh, I better get going before my dad catches me here" Krissy exclaimed, walking towards the door.

* * *

After hearing about how Will had snapped at her father at the newest crime scene of the 'Angel Maker', Krissy was worried. It sounded like Will had become a tightly collided spring and she was concerned with how he might snap. It also felt good to focus on someone else's problems, rather than her own, but that was another matter altogether. It was very early morning as Krissy pulled up to Will's house, jumping out of her car and pulling her coat closer to her body. Her forehead wrinkled as she heard loud barking from inside the house, and something caught her eye from the roof. Krissy gasped as she saw Will standing on the roof, dangerously near to the edge, as he swayed in the strong wind.

"Will? **_Will!_**" Krissy cried, but found she got no response.

It was almost as if he couldn't hear her, his eyes were open but no one was home. Krissy quickly sprinted forward, trying to open the front door but found it was locked. Without thinking twice, Krissy removed her coat and used it to shield her hand as she punched through the glass on the door. It took a few goes, but eventually the glass shattered, as she reached through the door to unlock it from the inside. Krissy grimaced as she pulled away and felt some glass cut along her arm, but she didn't stop. She barged through the front door and ran up the stairs, calling out Will's name. She pushed through the throng of dogs by the window on the roof and began to carefully crawl out.

"Will? Will, can you hear me?" She insisted, taking a slow step forward.

Krissy raised her hand out and grabbed onto Will's wrist, as the man jumped at the contact, almost falling forward, where he would have tumbled off the roof. Krissy quickly pulled him backwards, as he almost collided with her. Will blinked a few times, his eyes darting around his surrounding's, his breathing heavy as he realised it was Krissy holding onto him.

"What the hell was that?" Krissy exclaimed, a panicked tone to her voice.

Will gulped loudly, as he looked down at his feet, wanting nothing more than to get off the roof. He was surprised when he felt Krissy's cold hands come up to touch his face, as his eyes snapped to hers. Will watched as her expression softened, and she dropped one hand from his face, but kept the other there, her thumb rubbing slowly against his jaw. A sharp bark from one of the dogs had the pair coming out of whatever trance they had been in, as Krissy pulled away from him.

* * *

"You scared the hell out of me, Will. I thought…" Krissy trailed off, as they sat at the kitchen table a few minutes later.

Neither of them needed her to finish that sentence. Even if Will had been only sleepwalking, it was clear that his subconscious had no qualms with leading him into harm's way. Will felt strangely comforted by the worry that was so evident on Krissy's face. Not many people worried about him. The list started with Krissy, found Alana halfway and most likely ended with Hannibal.

"You're bleeding" Will exclaimed, his eyes finding the blood that was running down Krissy's arm.

"Shit…sorry" Krissy mumbled, seeing how the red substance had dripped onto the table.

"You got hurt trying to stop me from jumping off my roof and you're apologising to me?" Will scoffed, as he stood up to grab his first aid kit.

"Sorry?" Krissy shrugged, with an amused smile.

Will pulled his chair up close to Krissy, taking out a piece of gauze and a long line of bandage, which Krissy went to grab. He pushed her hands away, as she gave him a look.

"I'm fully capable of bandaging my own arm, Graham" Krissy stated, as Will's lips twitched into a smile.

"I know…but I want to do it. Let me alleviate a little of my guilt" Will insisted, as Krissy reluctantly gave him her arm.

"Well, when you put it that way" Krissy grinned, as Will placed her hand on his lap, and started to clean the cut.

"What were you doing out here?" Will asked, knowing that his house was a long way from anywhere.

"Dad told me about your argument at the crime scene. I wanted to check up on you. And it's lucky I did!" Krissy exclaimed.

"I haven't been sleeping well" Will sighed, as he placed some gauze on Krissy's wound.

"I'm surprised Doctor Lecter hasn't written you a prescription. He seemed way too eager to write me one" Krissy informed him, as Will started to bandage her wrist.

"He's put you on medication?" Will frowned.

"…I think he was worried I might hurt myself…or somebody else, if he didn't" Krissy admitted, as Will taped the bandage down.

"When instead you got hurt trying to help someone" Will answered, his fingers still touching the underside of her wrist.

"I know. It really is all your fault. Maybe you should kiss it better?" Krissy teased, as Will shook his head fondly.

"I think you'd enjoy that a little too much" Will smiled, as he let go of Krissy's wrist.

"So…how long has this sleepwalking been going on for?" Krissy couldn't help but ask.

"Recent. Very recent. I've thought about zipping myself up in a sleeping bag but that feels too much like a poor man's straitjacket" Will joked, as Krissy gave him a sympathetic look.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Krissy asked, watching Will shake his head.

"Do you want to talk about what happened to you?" Will questioned, as Krissy shook her head this time.

"What I do want to do, is make you breakfast" Krissy announced, pushing herself up from the chair.

"I'm not hungry" Will shrugged, as Krissy gave him a look.

"Not what I'm asking, Will. Let's have a look at what you've…okay, this is gonna' be harder than I thought" Krissy mumbled, opening Will's fridge to find it bare.

"Really, it's fine-" Will started, but Krissy wasn't about to take no for an answer.

"C'mon, we're going out for breakfast" Krissy insisted, as she grabbed her coat.

"I'm still in my pants" Will pointed out.

"I hadn't noticed" Krissy grinned, looking him up and down, clearly being a lie.

"Will you pass me some trousers?" Will asked, an amused smile on his lips.

Walking over to one of the chests of drawers in the other room, she was quick to pull out some black trousers, throwing them his way. Will gave her a questioning look as he realised she knew where to find them.

"Something you should know about me, Will. My observational skills are impeccable…actually they get me in trouble. A lot" Krissy explained as she placed her coat over her shoulders.

"I think that's just you" Will teased, as Krissy giggled lightly.

"C'mon, I can smell some pancakes calling us" Krissy insisted, grabbing Will's hand and almost dragging him out of the house.


	6. Chesapeake Ripper

"When were you going to tell me, Krissy?" A deep voice questioned, as Krissy strolled into her bedroom later that day.

"Hello to you too, Dad. Why are you skulking around in my room?" Krissy frowned, dismissing his questions.

"I know about Bella's cancer" Jack announced, watching his daughter's movements closely, noticing how she faltered for a moment.

"…Who told you?" Krissy asked as Jack hung his head with a sigh.

"Similarities to a case I'm working on…so, you did know? How?" Jack inquired, feeling the bed dip as Krissy came to sit beside him.

"I'm a nurse…unfortunately spotting when someone I know is sick, is one of the perks. I really did want to tell you, but it wasn't my place. I never wanted to hurt you-" Krissy began, as Jack stopped her by raising his hand.

"I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at myself. Neither my wife nor my daughter felt they could confide in me. What does that say about the kind of man I am?" Jack scoffed, pushing himself up from the bed.

"Dad, this has nothing to do with that! When the worst thing imaginable happens, people push away the ones they care about the most. It's a normal reaction, it's not because she doesn't love you" Krissy explained, as Jack shook his head.

"Then why did she want you here, hm? Why did she ask you to come home?" Jack pushed, as Krissy gave him a sad look.

"Because we're not close. She didn't have to worry about hurting my feelings, about the possibility of me leaving her-" Krissy started, but Jack was quick to stop her.

"I would never leave my wife!" He insisted, outraged at the idea.

"Have you actually told her that recently? Have you actually talked to her…at all?" Krissy pointed out, watching Jack's forehead wrinkle.

"…I'm not sure when you became so wise. I certainly don't think you got that from me" Jack muttered.

"You can say that again" Krissy teased, a small smile on her lips.

"What am I going to do without her, Krissy?" Jack asked, a moment later, rare tears beginning to well in his eyes.

"We'll get through this, Dad. Together. Just like with everything else. You are well and truly stuck with me" Krissy promised, standing up slowly.

Jack quickly enveloped her in a tight hug, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, choking back the tears that threatened to fall down his cheeks. Krissy smiled as she returned the hug, feeling like a weight was finally off her shoulders.

"I love you, honey" Jack mumbled, sniffling lightly.

"Love you too" Krissy replied, hugging him tighter.

* * *

To say Krissy was pissed was an understatement. Just when she thought she and her father were growing closer than ever, he completely shuts her out of the case that has plagued him for years. The Chesapeake Ripper. She had to find out from Beverley that there was talk that they had finally found the murderer, in a psychiatric hospital, nonetheless. Krissy found it difficult to believe that such a smart predator could go years undetected in such a place, but people were unpredictable. It was possible. She needed to find out the truth. For her father more than anyone else. The last thing Jack needed at that moment was his old adversary poking holes in his already disintegrating life. She was so busy searching the large halls of the hospital for her father, that she almost missed Will sitting quietly outside a block of offices.

"Krissy? What are you doing here?" Will frowned, as Krissy raised an eyebrow.

"I imagine the same reason you are. To figure out if this Abel Gideon is really the Chesapeake Ripper" Krissy replied, frowning at the way Will was ushering her away from the crime scene.

"You shouldn't be here. If Jack finds out…" Will trailed off, knowing that he would bear the brunt of Jack's anger.

"I can handle the scene, Will. No matter how gruesome it is" Krissy insisted, figuring that was why he didn't want her there.

"It's not about the crime scene. This isn't a good place for you to be. Either of us" Will told her, as they heard a door creaking open, followed by quick footsteps.

"Krissy Dixon. I can't tell you what a pleasure it is to finally meet you" A bearded man announced excitement in his steps, his eyes looking her up and down.

"Krissy Crawford. And you are?" She retorted, her jaw tense.

"Fredrick Chilton. The administrator of this hospital" The man informed her, holding his hand out, his intentions clear.

"Oh, so you're the one who thought it was a good idea to leave a violent psychopath in a room alone with a defenceless nurse?" Krissy exclaimed, as Fredrick took her hand in his own, pressing a soft kiss to her skin.

"You have your brother's wit I see. One half of the infamous 'Murder Siblings' in my hospital…I suppose there really is a silver lining to everything" Fredrick stated, as Krissy quickly pulled her hand away from his own as if it burnt.

"I think it would be advisable to stick to the current case, Doctor Chilton" Will warned, standing a little closer to Krissy's side, which she certainly wasn't going to complain about.

"Have you read the file on the scene yet? It's interesting, there are some similarities to one of your brother's murders in England. One which I believe you were present for. Your brother used poker sticks to hang a young lady from a ceiling…at a party, nonetheless. Your brother certainly was a showman, wasn't he?" Doctor Chilton exclaimed, as Will saw that Krissy had turned a worryingly pale colour, about to step in, but Krissy beat him to it.

"Is, Doctor Chilton. And if I remember correctly my brother doesn't appreciate gossip, so I'd be careful what you say" Krissy told him, watching the Doctor shrink a little, but he soon recovered.

"…Mr Graham, if you would be so kind to wait in the foyer with the others. I can show Ms Crawford to the crime scene" Fredrick announced, his eyes snapping to the other man's, the first time they had left Krissy since he had seen her.

"I'm perfectly capable of finding my own way. Thank you" Krissy muttered, the testosterone in the hallway getting on her nerves.

"Ah, but I have a pass and you do not" Chilton pointed out, holding up his badge for her to see.

"Krissy should wait in the foyer with me until her father arrives-" Will began, making Krissy roll her eyes.

"I'm really not interested in being in the middle of a pissing contest between you two right now" Krissy exclaimed, in a snappy tone.

With a sharp nod, Will instantly turned on his heel and began to walk down the corridor, as guilt ate away at Krissy. It had been a stressful couple of days since her father had found out the truth about Bella, and her patience was wearing thin. However, the last person she wanted to take it out on was Will. Just as she was thinking about running after him, a hand was thrust in front of her, ushering her in the opposite direction.

"I hope you don't find it an imposition, but I would just love to properly interview you at some point. Not on this visit, of course, but another time. Maybe over dinner?" Fredrick continued to push, as Krissy's jaw dropped open.

"A-are you asking me out on a date?" Krissy questioned, blushing lightly, despite herself.

"You seem surprised by this. You don't date?" Fredrick inquired, as Krissy continued to look dumbfounded.

"You met me five minutes ago. All you know about me is I'm the sister of a notorious serial killer…that really does it for you, huh?" Krissy stated, raising an eyebrow.

"I have been following your case since the beginning. I feel I know you almost better than I know myself" Fredrick admitted, making Krissy's forehead wrinkle.

"That's impressive Doctor Chilton. Somehow you've managed to make yourself sound even less desirable than me" Krissy mumbled, watching how his lips twitched into a smile.

"And you are exactly what I was expecting" Fredrick grinned, his eyes lowering to gaze over her fully once again, making her want to pull her jacket closer to her body.

"Why are you so certain that this patient of yours is the Chesapeake Ripper?" Krissy inquired, as the man used his badge to let them through a large metal barrier.

"The brutalisation of the body, the removal of organs, mutilation of the abdomen…take your pick" Doctor Chilton stated, as he stopped in front of a door, which Krissy guessed led to the crime scene.

"I hope your stomach is as strong as it used to be" Fredrick exclaimed, ripping the door open, as the smell of blood instantly hit Krissy.

The moment she stepped through the door, she wished she hadn't. The room was a complete mess, beds, tables, and equipment lying haphazardly throughout the room, all of it bloodstained. Gideon Abel clearly had some time to perform the murder, something which didn't seem quite right. Slowly, Krissy allowed her eyes to gaze over the victim. The nurse's white uniform was drenched through with her own blood, bent backwards like something from The Exorcist. There were more poles through her abdomen than Krissy dared to count, a foul-smelling pool of blood beneath her body. There was something oddly familiar about the corpse, leading Krissy to wonder whether Fredrick had been right, and Gideon had taken some aspiration from one of her brother's murders. Slowly, the room seemed to melt away before her eyes and suddenly she was in a field, crows crying all around her. Instead of the nurse's body, she could see Cassie Boyle, impaled on the stag's head, the smell of decay all around her.

"Brutalisation of the body, removal of the organs and mutilation of the abdomen…" Krissy trailed off, her eyes widening in horror.

"Ms Crawford?" Fredrick frowned, reaching out to touch her arm, seeing how she had been lost in a trance for a moment.

"Do you have any pictures of the Chesapeake Ripper's previous murder? The one like this?" Krissy quickly asked, as Fredrick nodded slowly.

"Yes, in my office-" Fredrick started, as Krissy was already rushing out of the door.

Krissy bit at her fingernail as Fredrick to fished out his file on the previous murder, a man killed in his own garage, impaled using his own instruments. Fredrick watched in awe as he could see Krissy's mind ticking away behind her eyes.

"Left on display, in a pose of humiliation. Similar, but not close enough for anyone to catch on" Krissy mumbled to herself.

"So, you agree? Abel Gideon is the Chesapeake Ripper?" Fredrick inquired, making Krissy scoff.

"Quite the opposite actually. I might have just found the proof that he's not" Krissy smirked.

* * *

Hannibal was surprised to hear a soft tapping on his office door, just minutes before he was due to leave. Opening the door slowly, he found Krissy standing over the threshold, a conflicted expression on her face.

"Did I forget we have an appointment?" Hannibal inquired, as Krissy quickly shook her head.

"I was just…I need someone to talk to…someone's opinion that I trust…" Krissy trailed off, expecting Hannibal to turn her away.

"Please, come in" Hannibal nodded, stepping out of the doorway, holding his hand out, which Krissy realised was clutching at his coat.

"It's late. I don't want to impose on you-" Krissy began, but Hannibal quickly cut her off.

"My office is always open to you, Krissy. No matter the hour" Hannibal replied, watching her shoulder's practically sag in relief.

"You might regret saying that when you try to unravel my fucked up mind" Krissy muttered, stepping over the threshold and started to pace.

"One of your hunches?" Hannibal guessed, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

"I think the Chesapeake Ripper and the Copycat maybe the same killer" Krissy blurted out, unable to hold it in any longer.

"…That is quite the statement. Do you have any evidence?" Hannibal asked, missing a beat only for a second, his interest well and truly piqued.

"Have you heard about the murder at the Baltimore Hospital for the Criminally Insane?" Krissy queried, settling on one of the armchairs.

"I've heard rumours. A nurse was butchered in a way similar to a previous Ripper victim" Hannibal stated, coming to sit opposite her.

"There are similarities, yes. But also, a lot of differences. The organs were removed posthumously. It was impulsive, with no motive whatsoever behind the attack. This killer and the nurse had never even met before. The Chesapeake Ripper seems almost obsessively meticulous. It's not him" Krissy explained.

"What has brought you to the conclusion that the Ripper and the Copycat are the same person?" Hannibal asked, as a conflicted expression grew on Krissy's face.

"Well, just for a moment…this nurse's murder and Cassie Boyle's…they seemed to practically melt into each other before my eyes. But this patient couldn't have killed Cassie Boyle" Krissy pointed out, as Hannibal nodded slowly.

"Hence why you think he can't be the Chesapeake Ripper" Hannibal stated, clasping his hands out in front of him.

"There is an extremeness to both the Ripper and the Copycat's murders. It's almost overkill. But this killer doesn't do anything without a reason. The brutalisation it's like…like a distraction…" Krissy trailed off, her forehead wrinkled in concentration.

"What are they distracting from?" Hannibal asked, licking his lips, leaning forward making Krissy aware of how their chairs seemed far closer than they used to be.

Suddenly, there was a loud ring coming from Krissy's pocket, making her jump and lean back in her chair. With a sigh, she saw it was her dad calling, her train of thought lost.

"Sorry, do you mind if I take this?" Krissy inquired, watching Hannibal nod.

"Hey, Dad. How was your day? Been up to…right. Yeah. Well, I wasn't lying, I was only omitting certain truths" Krissy exclaimed, standing up and turning her back to Hannibal.

Hannibal inhaled deeply, smoothing down his tie as he straightened in his chair, letting his eyes roam over the young girl. She was connecting things she shouldn't be able to. He should have felt on edge, but instead he felt…excited? Krissy had once again succeeded all of Hannibal's expectations. If only he could rid her of the distractions that plagued her life…would she really see the truth of him?

"I know. You were just trying to protect me…yeah. Okay, I will. Um…did you see Will at the hospital? Oh, no reason…I was just…did he say anything?...Well, about me or…whatever. No? Right, yeah. That's cool…Oh, no. You're breaking up, dad. Brsk, brsk" Krissy said, making static sounds with her voice, in an attempt to get her dad off the line.

"Sorry about that. Family drama fully muted" Krissy exclaimed, walking back over to her seat, after putting her phone on silent.

"Did something happen with Will?" Hannibal inquired.

"No, nothing really. I snapped at him at the hospital…I just hope he's not mad at me" Krissy murmured, biting her lip.

"You hold Will's opinions in very high regard. Why is that?" Hannibal inquired, as Krissy squirmed in her seat a little.

"He's my friend. I don't want to push him away" Krissy shrugged, as Hannibal knew he wasn't going to get anything else from her at that moment.

"...What did you mean when you said the nurse's murder and Cassie Boyle's melted in front of your eyes?" Hannibal asked, the strange wording standing out to him.

"Just for a split second, I felt like…like I was back in that field with Cassie Boyle's body. But like I said, it was gone in the blink of an eye-" Krissy started, but Hannibal cut her off.

"You were hallucinating?" Hannibal guessed, watching Krissy's jaw tense.

"I'm fine. Really" Krissy insisted, her hands fidgeting in her lap.

"That wasn't my question, Krissy" Hannibal pushed, leaning forward in his chair.

The side effects of the Lorazepam she was taking seemed to be growing if she truly was hallucinating. Hannibal was helping broaden her mind, helping her connect things she would otherwise be blind to. What else would she realise if given the opportunity?

"…Where were you off to when I barged in?" Krissy questioned, abruptly changing the subject.

"Home" Hannibal replied, simply.

"It's Saturday night. No hot date?" Krissy went on, as Hannibal raised an eyebrow.

"I could say the same to you" Hannibal stated, his accent thick.

"Well, that's not true actually. I got asked out today…by a creepy, semi-obsessed guy who works at a psychiatric hospital…but hey, I'll take what I can get" Krissy shrugged, amused.

"You weren't interested?" Hannibal inquired.

"Maybe you missed the creepy part. Actually, you probably know him. Fredrick Chilton?" Krissy informed him, as Hannibal nodded slowly.

"A man who has had an unhealthy fascination for you and your brother for many years now. I doubt he has your best interests in mind" Hannibal explained, as a smile spread across Krissy's lips.

"Careful, Doctor Lecter. It almost sounds like you care" Krissy exclaimed, holding her hand over her heart.

"Your using humour as a defence mechanism-" Hannibal told her, as she suddenly stood up.

"The fact that neither of us has anything to do on a Saturday night is just too depressing. So…let's change that" Krissy announced.

"Are you asking me out on a date now?" Hannibal asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"You should be so lucky...C'mon, just for tonight, hand over control. You might find out you like it" Krissy insisted, sauntering over to his office door.

"Krissy…" Hannibal trailed off, pushing himself up from the chair, not liking how the night could end.

"Hannibal" Krissy retorted, childishly, opening the door and turning to him.

"Let's go paint the town red, Doctor" Krissy grinned, holding out her arm.

Against his better judgement, Hannibal did as she asked, wrapping his coat around his shoulders, and linking their arms together. Krissy's choice of words had his lips twitching into a sly smile, as he wondered what it would be like to kill with another person.

* * *

"Relinquishing control? I know that is not something you take lightly, Hannibal" Doctor Bedelia Du Maurier pointed out, during a therapy session with Hannibal, where he was recounting his outing with Krissy.

"It is something that friends must give to aid an equal partnership" Hannibal replied, sitting up straight in his chair.

"Is that something your interested in with this girl? A partnership?" Bedelia inquired, surprised.

"I have been thinking about what you said at our last therapy session…my person suit. I believe she has the ability to see past it" Hannibal explained, as Bedelia took a sip of her wine.

"It can be comforting when someone sees us for who we really are. But it requires trust from both sides. Trust is difficult for you" Bedelia warned him, causing Hannibal to avert his eyes to the ground.

"You've helped me to better understand what it is I want in a friendship and what I don't," Hannibal told her, watching Bedelia nod slowly.

"Someone worthy of your friendship" Bedelia suggested, her face as emotionless as ever.

"…Yes" Hannibal replied, realising she was correct.

"You build a lot of walls, Hannibal. It's natural to want to see if someone is clever enough to climb over them…but I wonder what will they do once they're on the other side?" Bedelia explained, as Hannibal considered this.

"She could reject me" Hannibal exclaimed, leaning back in his chair.

"You don't handle rejection well" Bedelia pointed out, her hands clasped together.

"What would your advice be?" Hannibal inquired, as Bedelia took another sip from her glass.

"You need to find out more about this girl before you let her peek behind the veil. Show an interest in her, spend some more time with her" Bedelia went on, as Hannibal nodded.

"And what of Will Graham? You thought there was an opportunity of friendship there too?" Bedelia questioned, surprised that Hannibal was yet to bring up his favourite patient.

"Steady progress" Hannibal told her, a smug smile spreading across his face.

* * *

Krissy came to a halt when she walked into Will's lecture wall to find him, sitting at his desk, his hand covering his face, but his eyes were wide open. She slowly walked forward, wondering if he was dreaming, but found that his eyes seemed to be following something behind her. With her forehead wrinkled with worry, she called out his name, making the older man jump, almost falling from his chair.

"Are you okay?" Krissy asked, coming to stand beside him.

"I-I'm fine. I was just…thinking of something else…" Will trailed off, a confused frown on his own face.

"You're a terrible liar, Will" Krissy scoffed, crouching down so that she was almost level with him.

"What are you doing here?" Will inquired, turning in his chair to face her, leaning back when he realised how close he was.

"I wanted to apologise for how I was acting at the hospital. Stress makes me rude, it seems" Krissy told him, as Will shook his head.

"Don't worry about it" Will dismissed, even though the encounter had been playing on his own mind since it had happened.

"Alright, then that leaves me to just worry about you instead. Are you still sleepwalking?" Krissy asked, as Will let out a sigh and pushed himself up from his chair, turning away from her.

"I really don't want to talk about this" Will retorted, as Krissy stood back up.

"Well, tough. We're talking about it…unless you want me to tell my dad" Krissy warned, watching Will run his hand over his face.

"Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing" Will mumbled, only just loud enough for her to hear.

"Do you want to stop doing this?" Krissy asked, as Will turned back to her, and went to lean against his desk.

"I don't know…all I know is people die if I stop" Will stated, as Krissy came to stand beside him.

"They're not your responsibility. There's nothing wrong with putting yourself first…I want you to take care of yourself" Krissy explained, as Will looked to her with a frown.

"Why?" Will asked, genuinely not understanding why she cared.

"Because your important to me, Will" Krissy replied, as he searched her eyes for any deceit, but came up with nothing, she had meant what she said.

Slowly, as if not to spook him, Krissy inched her hand closer to his, until their fingers brushed against each other. They both looked down to their hands, as Krissy held her hand out, palm to the ceiling and waited to see how he would respond. Nervously, Will placed his warm hand over hers, as their fingers interlocked, feeling his heart speed up in his chest. His eyes snapped back up to hers, as she gave him a reassuring smile and squeezed his hand lightly.

"Krissy?" A voice suddenly boomed from behind them, causing them both to pull away instantly.

"Hey, dad! Uh, what a surprise seeing you here…" Krissy trailed off, rubbing her neck awkwardly, as she saw her father and Alana walking towards them.

"What are you doing here?" Jack frowned, having seen how close the two had been standing together.

"Just…chatting and stuff" Krissy shrugged, as Will looked a little amused at her flustered appearance.

"Stuff?" Jack insisted, crossing his arms, as he squinted at Will.

"We've come to ask Will for his advice…we have a direct way to communicate with the Chesapeake Ripper and we want to see if we can influence him to become visible" Alana informed them, interrupting the uncomfortable silence.

"Why the hell would you want to do that?" Krissy retorted, not liking the idea one bit.

According to Jack, he was already receiving calls from the killer, in the form of a recording from Miriam Lass, an FBI agent who had disappeared due to his own actions. Not that Krissy had heard any late-night calls, having been dead to the world due to the medication that Hannibal had her on.

"We can't figure out who this son of a bitch is while he's hiding in the shadows, Krissy" Jack insisted, as she gave him an exasperated look.

"This is a terrible idea, dad! You could push him to kill again!" Krissy exclaimed.

"I have to push," Jack told her, as Krissy scoffed.

"Well, I'm not having part of this" Krissy muttered.

"I need to catch this guy, Krissy," Jack told her, as she shook her head vehemently.

"You're obsessed! The Chesapeake Ripper has completely clouded your vision…you're not thinking straight. Alana, surely you don't agree with this" Krissy all but pleaded, as the older woman looked down to her shoes.

"I don't see that there is any other way-" Alana began, as Krissy scoffed harshly, and went to push past the pair, not wanting to hear anymore.

"Good luck with your serial killer hunt…I hope no one gets hurt, for your sake!" Krissy exclaimed, storming away from the lecture hall.

* * *

Krissy's eyes slowly fluttered open late the next morning, brushing against her cheek, having felt something there only moments ago. As her eyes adjusted to the light in her room, she realised that the door was halfway open, causing her to frown. She always shut her door. Turning to her alarm clock, she saw it had just gone eleven in the morning and rubbed her eyes. She had been up late researching what she could find about the Chesapeake Ripper, which only consolidated what she already knew about the killer. Her head shot up when she heard a bang from downstairs and realised it was the front door.

"Dad?" She called out, getting no reply.

She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, pulling her dressing gown off the bottom of the bed and swung it over her shoulders. Just as she was about to leave the bedroom to investigate, her phone started to ring, as she looked down to see Jack calling.

"Hey, I thought you were-" Krissy began, but was immediately cut off by Jack.

"Where are you? Krissy, are you at home?!" Jack questioned, panic clear in his voice.

"Yeah, why?" Krissy yawned, running a hand through her hair.

"I just got a call from inside the house. It was from Miriam Lass" Jack informed her, as Krissy quickly felt very awake.

"What…you're not making sense…" Krissy frowned.

"The Chesapeake Ripper has been in the house, Krissy!" Jack stated, as she felt a shiver go down her spine.

The bang from downstairs…her door being open…what had woken her in the first place? Krissy instantly rushed forward, slamming her bedroom door shut and locking it from the inside, her hands shaking. Had the killer been in her room? Were they still in the house?

"Krissy? Krissy, are you still there?" Jack cried, a desperate tone to his voice.

"Please hurry…I heard something from downstairs" Krissy whispered, trying to calm her breathing.

"You just hold on. I'll be there before you know it" Jack promised.

* * *

Only thirty minutes later, half the police force was roaming through the Crawford house, while Krissy stayed close by her father's side. She had just enough time to change into a shirt and jeans before the calvary arrived, and she reluctantly unlocked her bedroom door. She was currently sitting on a chair in Jack's bedroom, still visibly shaking, her hands clasped together. Loud footsteps rushing towards the bedroom had Krissy on edge, until she saw who was the owner of the footsteps. She gave Will a small smile as he entered the room, his shoulder's sagging in relief when he saw she wasn't hurt.

"Are you alright?" Will inquired, approaching her, reaching out to place his hand on her shoulder.

"No…but I'm glad you're here" Krissy replied, placing her cold hand over his warm one, as Will's lips twitched into a smile.

"In my house. In my bedroom…where my wife sleeps…" Jack trailed off, angrily, not having seen the interaction between Will and Krissy.

"I've dusted the phone. Got a lot of usable prints. I've got four distinct beauties here. Yours, your wife's, Krissy's and presumably the Chesapeake Ripper" Jimmy exclaimed, patching it through the database.

"Jack, can you come out here for a second?" Brian asked, from the hallway, catching Krissy's attention.

"What is it?" Krissy called out, standing up from her chair.

"…We've found prints on your bedroom door…and from inside…" Brian trailed off, reluctantly.

"Jesus Christ" Krissy muttered, taking a shaky breath.

"I'm going to kill him" Jack said, through gritted teeth.

"Not if he kills you first" Krissy pointed out, shoving past him, and walking towards her bedroom.

"Krissy, it's still a crime scene-" Brian began, but Krissy cut him off.

"It's my fucking room! I want to see if he took anything" Krissy told her, pushing her bedroom door open and walking inside.

"Just let her go" Jack sighed, seeing how Brian wasn't sure whether he should stop her.

"Dad!" Krissy's panicked voice cried, a few moments later.

Surprisingly, Will was the first one who reacted, rushing into her bedroom to find her holding an empty picture frame, her hands shaking.

"He took a picture of me and you" Krissy frowned, looking to her father.

"Why the hell would he do that?" Jack questioned, looking to Will.

"…Maybe he didn't just come here to spite you, Jack. He came in here for a reason" Will announced, looking around the dimly lit room.

"Is there anything else missing?" Brian asked, standing in the doorway.

"I don't…wait…my sweater. It's gone…yeah, I'm sure I left it on my chair" Krissy told them, walking over to the chair in question, crouching down on the floor to make sure it hadn't fallen off.

"The sweater you wore yesterday?" Will inquired, as Krissy nodded.

"Where's his mind at, Will?" Jack insisted.

"He's trying to figure you out, Krissy. He took the picture because…he can't understand your connection to Jack…he's trying to figure out if it's real or not" Will theorised, as Jack crossed his arms.

"And my sweater?" Krissy questioned.

"He wanted to take something of yours. Something he could keep…something that smelt like you-" Will began, as Jack threw his arms up in the air.

"Now he wants to smell my daughter?!" Jack complained, irritated.

"Dad" Krissy mumbled, noticing something off about her bed.

"No, this guy is going to pay! He thinks he can just come into my house and…" Jack trailed off, when he saw Krissy rip her pillows away from the bed, his eyes widening when he saw what was underneath them.

Krissy audibly gulped as she looked down to see a single bullet laying on her mattress, as bile rose in her throat. Her brother's calling card. Fear stricken, she stumbled backwards, almost colliding with Will.

"No, no, no…" She stuttered, her hand flying to her mouth, as her breathing became shallower.

"Krissy, don't. This isn't him. It's the Chesapeake Ripper. He's just trying to get in your head" Jack insisted, placing his hands on her shoulder's.

"What if it isn't?! What if he found me?" Krissy cried, terrified tears welling in her eyes.

Will slowly reached into his pocket to place a glove on his hand and picked up the bullet, taking a closer look. His mouth went dry when he saw something etched into the bullet that gave them their answer.

"C.P" Will announced, turning to the others, indicating to the initials carved into the bullet.

"See…it wasn't your brother. It's okay. Your okay" Jack told her, pulling her closer, wanting nothing more than to shield her from what was happening.

"No. Instead it's another serial killer threatening my life…because of you" Krissy exclaimed, pushing him away from her, as Jack looked at her with a hurt expression.

"He's not threatening you. It's an invitation" Will informed them, as Krissy turned to him with a frown.

"What do you mean?" Krissy inquired.

"He wants to know how similar you are to your brother. This a friendly message in his eyes" Will explained, as Krissy only looked more confused.

"So, he's asking her to come out and play?" Jack scoffed.

"I don't want to stay here" Krissy mumbled, as Jack reached out to her, but she shoved him away.

"I can have an armed guard outside this house at all times" Jack offered, but Krissy shook her head.

"I'm not staying here! I can't…I can't sleep in this bed after all this!" Krissy pointed out, angrily.

"…You could come stay with me" Will offered, as they both turned to him.

"Krissy, I don't think this is a good-" Jack began, but she cut him off with a raised hand.

"Well, I don't really care what you think right now. I told you not to push…and look what happened" Krissy exclaimed, walking over to Will, as Jack shook his head angrily.

"If she gets hurt on your watch, Graham…you'll wish you were the one Hobb's sliced into" Jack warned, storming out of the room, knowing there was no way to stop his daughter.

"Thank you for offering, but you really don't need to. I don't want to force you into anything" Krissy stated, as Will gave her a small smile.

"I want to help you. Let me?" Will asked, as Krissy slowly nodded, returning his expression.

As Krissy walked out of the room, Will couldn't help but wonder if this had been the Chesapeake Ripper's plan all along…to push Jack away from his daughter? Should he really be taking advantage of the situation if that was the case?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Please leave a review, and let me know what you think of this story so far!


	7. Avoidance

Not long after moving out of her father's house, the arm of Miriam Lass was found, completely devastating Jack. Krissy knew that even he had begun to think she could be alive, and the Ripper had made all that come crashing down. Jack was feeling lonelier than ever and needed his daughter there, but a dark part of Krissy's mind couldn't help but feel he had brought it all on himself. He shouldn't have pushed the killer. Krissy had barely slept since the invasion of her privacy, despite moving into Will's, as she expected the Ripper would be able to find her easily enough if they wanted. The pair had fallen into a comfortable routine, managing not to get under each other's feet. However, having two people who had frequent night terrors living under the same roof was bound to create problems. It appeared it was Will's turn to wake up the household that night, as Krissy's eyes fluttered open, hearing his panicked cries coming from his bedroom. She heard the pitter-patter of tiny feet and saw two of Will's dogs rushing into the room, whining softly, obviously wanting her to help their owner. Krissy rubbed her eyes, as she debated whether to knock on Will's door when she saw something out of her peripheral vision. It was Will. He was stumbling down the corridor, as if in a trance, as Krissy quickly put two and two together, realising he must have been sleepwalking. Swinging her legs out of the bed, she went to follow him, worried where Will would end up. She increased her pace when she saw him nearing the front door and reached out to grab his hand. Will flinched at this movement, his eyes darting around, as he seemed to wake up. He looked down to see who was holding his hand, trying to calm his panicked breathing, as Krissy squeezed his hand.

"Not sure if it's the best time to go for a walk, Will" Krissy teased, ushering over to the clock, which stated that it was three in the morning.

"I might be a little underdressed I suppose" Will replied, looking down at his thin white shirt and boxers.

"You're burning up" Krissy frowned, reaching out to touch his cheek with her other hand, feeling how sweaty he was.

"I just need an aspirin" Will mumbled, walking over to the kitchen, a pot ready and waiting.

"You might be getting sick" Krissy suggested, following him into the kitchen.

"It's my mind that's sick. Not my body" Will sighed, running a hand over his face.

"…You know what you need. Ice cream. That'll make you feel better" Krissy announced, stumbling over to his freezer.

"Is that your medical diagnosis?" Will mocked, as Krissy gave him a grin, before opening the freezer.

"Oh no. This just won't do. All you have is vanilla ice cream? Well, now I'm really worried about you" Krissy teased, as Will let out a low chuckle.

"In between finding killers for the FBI and teaching my class, it doesn't leave a lot of time for groceries" Will pointed out, as Krissy pulled the tub from the freezer.

"Sounds like your lucky I'm here then. I'll go shopping in the morning" Krissy told him, grabbing a bowl and spoon.

"Are you gonna' feed me too?" Will scoffed, quirking an eyebrow.

"Not unless you want me to" Krissy answered, as Will shook his head, a fond smile on his face.

"…Actually that reminds me of something. We haven't talked about rent yet. I can-" Krissy began, but Will cut her off.

"You don't need to pay me, Krissy. I know your not working at the moment" Will stated, watching Krissy's hands falter for a moment.

"Did my dad ever tell you why I'm not working?" Krissy questioned, averting her eyes to the ground.

"No. He didn't" Will replied, not sure if he should push further.

"I got in a fight at work. One of the other nurses realised who I was. She said I shouldn't have been allowed to look after patients, that I should be in prison. I was going to walk away, but then she said…she said I was just like my brother. And I saw red" Krissy sighed.

"What did you do?" Will inquired, seeing how hard her hands were gripping onto the counter.

"I told her she'd better hope I wasn't. And then I did what I always did. I walked away. I asked to be transferred to another ward. That should have been the end of it…but then the nurse disappeared. Someone had recorded the fight, leaked it to the papers. I even got interviewed by the police…her body showed up a couple of days later. With the same wounds as all my brother's victims. I had been in police custody when she had been killed but the hospital said they couldn't afford to keep me on anymore. Not after I had got one of their staff killed" Krissy explained.

"It wasn't your fault" Will exclaimed, in a firm voice, as Krissy turned to him.

"I'm like poison, Will. Everyone around me gets infected in the end" Krissy muttered; her hands balled into fists.

"Then I suppose it's a good thing I've got my own poison" Will exclaimed, as Krissy's eyes snapped to his, her lips twitching into a small smile.

"...What were you dreaming about? I heard you in your room…it didn't sound like a good dream" Krissy pointed out.

"They never are" Will mumbled, running a hand through his curls, as Krissy began to spoon out the ice cream.

"C'mon, I told you a fucked up story, it's your turn now" Krissy insisted, handing him the bowl, as they walked over to the kitchen table.

"I dreamt about the Copycat. Or at least the image my 'fucked up' mind has concocted" Will admitted, grabbing the spoon, and shovelling some of the cold ice cream into his mouth, enjoying the cooling sensation.

"Is it the Devil?" Krissy scoffed, thinking it seemed appropriate.

"It's a stag. It's been, uh…following me. I can't seem to outrun the thing" Will muttered, taking another bite of the ice cream.

"Is that why you've started sleepwalking? Trying to run away from your nightmares?" Krissy suggested as Will gave her a look.

"Now your starting to sound like Doctor Lecter" Will teased, making Krissy giggle lightly.

"Speaking of our mutual friend. Have you told him about this?" Krissy inquired.

"The sleepwalking? Yes" Will nodded, swirling around the last of the ice cream with his spoon.

"What does he think?" Krissy asked, as Will gave a tiny shrug.

"I don't think any of us really knows what Hannibal's thinking" Will replied.

"Ah, you've noticed that too" Krissy agreed, as Will pushed the bowl away from him.

"Look, I may not be a psychiatrist, but I do have first-hand experience with feeling like your out of control…unfortunately, denial isn't the best course" Krissy explained, as Will pinched the bridge of his nose, but still nodded, nonetheless.

"I just need some sleep" Will mumbled.

"I can hit you round the head with a blunt object if you want" Krissy suggested, as Will gave her an amused look.

"And leave myself at your mercy? That seems unwise" Will stated, making Krissy grin, as she leaned a little closer.

A loud trilling sound had them both jumping, as Will realised it was his phone, and knew there was only one person who would call him at that time. Jack had a new case for him, a possible Chesapeake Ripper victim. Krissy was quick to add she was coming too but was immediately shot down by her father. He told her she was no longer needed. It was a clear message. Come home or be removed from the case. Jack should have known she was far too stubborn to be bought that easily.

* * *

Krissy pulled at her dress for the second time in less than a minute, wishing the hem was a few inches lower. Still, she didn't regret her choice in an outfit. When Hannibal had invited her to a charity event, she had been unsure, and when he informed her it was an Opera performance, she was put off even more. Upper-class men and women were the norms at such a performance, and she certainly wasn't. Just as she was getting ready to decline, she felt a sliver of guilt that had her changing her mind. He hid it very well, but Krissy could tell that Hannibal was lonely. As far as she could tell, Will and herself seemed to be his closest friends. And she didn't like letting her friends down. Not only that, but Hannibal couldn't push her to talk about her encounter with the Chesapeake Ripper in such a public place. She had so far managed to completely avoid the subject in their sessions and wanted to continue that. Killing two birds with one stone. Still, if she was going to be judged, and gossiped about all night…she was certainly going to give them something to talk about. For once, Hannibal had seemed speechless when he had collected her that night, seeing the outfit she was wearing. A black blazer dress, with a large chunky belt around her waist, showing her figure off well. The dress finished above her mid-thigh, showing more leg than she was used to. Not to mention the way the blazer gaped around her cleavage, dropping low and showing the creamy skin there. She accessorised with a pretty, gold chain that draped down her chest, a stark contrast to her otherwise black outfit. Krissy had even made an effort with her hair, giving her brunette locks soft curls, which lay to the side of her shoulder. It was certainly a statement piece.

"Have you gained the reaction you were hoping for?" Hannibal questioned after the performance, as they were supposed to be mingling with the other guests.

"And some" Krissy smirked, looking towards a group of women, who were stealing glances their way, whispering between themselves.

"I am beginning to think you enjoy trouble, Krissy" Hannibal exclaimed, as she shrugged.

"Regretting inviting me, Doctor Lecter?" Krissy asked, quirking an eyebrow his way.

"The opposite actually. Nor do I disapprove of your choice of dress" Hannibal answered, surprising Krissy.

"Even if it causes a scene?" Krissy suggested.

"Especially if it does" Hannibal grinned, as Krissy shared the expression.

"**_Hannibal!_** It is so wonderful to see you…and who is your…lady friend?" An older woman in a red dress, looking like she had just stepped out of the 1920's, questioned as she approached them.

"I'm Krissy" She replied, a fake smile on her face.

"Krissy…?" The woman insisted, clearly looking for more.

"Just Krissy. And you are?" Krissy retorted.

"Mrs Komeda. I don't think I've seen you at any of our gatherings in the past, dear. Are you new in town?" Mrs Komeda inquired.

"This isn't my usual crowd" Krissy confessed, as Hannibal's eyes darted between the two women.

"Yes that is…_evident_" Mrs Komeda muttered, looking at her up and down with a disapproving look.

"I saw you staring at me from across the room, Mrs Komeda. Do you like my dress?" Krissy went on, a challenge in her eyes.

"It's uh, certainly different. Are you Doctor's Lecter's date for the night?" Mrs Komeda guessed, as Krissy scoffed lightly.

"What else would I be?" Krissy queried.

"My husband thought you could be an escort" Mrs Komeda mumbled, just loud enough for Krissy to hear, watching the young girl's jaw tense.

"Oh, an expensive one, of course. I didn't mean to offend, dear" Mrs Komeda added, full of fake sweetness.

"Well, you better run along back to your husband, **_dear_**…and let him know that he could never afford me" Krissy told her, ushering to her body, with a smirk.

Mrs Komeda looked absolutely scandalised by Krissy's response, turning on her heel and storming back over to a balding man, who Krissy assumed was her husband. Giving him a quick wave, Krissy let the smile she had been forcing to drop from her face, taking a long swig from her champagne.

"I suppose I should have given a more dignified response…" Krissy trailed off, surprised when she saw the amused smile Hannibal was wearing.

"On the contrary, Mrs Komeda was being unspeakably rude. Better to have a sharp tongue rather than another instrument" Hannibal exclaimed.

"Not that I could bring a sharp instrument into an event like this…unfortunately" Krissy muttered, as Hannibal let out a low chuckle.

"Doctor Lecter! I hope I'm not interrupting" A voice announced, as the pair turned to see a short, round man, sweating profusely.

"Hello" Hannibal nodded curtly, as the other man practically bounced on his feet, a beaming grin on his face.

"Hi. It's so good to see you. This is my friend Tobias" The man exclaimed, holding his hand out for Hannibal to shake, who responded quickly, as if he wanted to get the formalities over with.

"Good evening" Hannibal greeted, holding his hand out to shake the short man's companion, who seemed tight-lipped.

"Who's your friend?" The short man inquired, letting his gaze sweep over Krissy, analysing every aspect of her outfit.

"This is Krissy. She is my date for the evening" Hannibal replied, as he wrapped his hand around Krissy's waist, much to her own surprise.

"I didn't catch your name" Krissy exclaimed, as Hannibal's hand came to rest on her hip.

"Franklyn Froideveaux" The short man informed her, his eyes quickly coming back to Hannibal, who seemed to be the thing he was really interested in.

"How do you two know each other?" Krissy inquired, thinking Hannibal and Franklyn seemed an odd pair of friends.

"There should remain some mystery to my life outside the opera" Hannibal stated, as Krissy quirked an eyebrow towards him.

"I'm one of his patients" Franklyn mumbled.

"Same here. We should compare notes on the good doctor" Krissy teased, as she felt a gentle squeeze on her hip in response.

"Oh…I, uh…didn't realise it was ethical for a doctor to date one of his patients" Franklyn mumbled, jealously clear from his tone.

"_What? _Oh, no. We're not…we're just friends" Krissy replied, with a nervous laugh.

"Close friends it would seem" Tobias announced, his first words of the evening sharp, a hidden meaning behind them.

"Did you enjoy the performance?" Hannibal asked Tobias, quick to change the subject, as Krissy realised he had stayed silent after Franklyn's accusation.

"I did. I loved it. Every minute" Franklyn interjected, very keen to get his point across.

"His eyes kept wandering. More interested in you than what was happening on stage" Tobias explained, a calculating look in his eyes.

"Oh, don't say too much. You must leave something for us to discuss next week" Hannibal joked, as Krissy let out an amused sound.

"…Do you take a lot of patients to the Opera, Doctor?" Franklyn couldn't help but ask, his jaw tense.

"Why do you ask, Franklyn? Looking for an invite?" Krissy suggested, raising an eyebrow.

"You have a very sharp tongue" Tobias stated, as Krissy took a swig of her drink.

"As everyone keeps telling me" Krissy mumbled, a fake smile back on her face.

"Franklyn, good to see you" Hannibal exclaimed, shaking the short man's sweaty hands quickly.

"You too" Franklyn nodded, wiping his hands on his trousers.

"Tobias" Hannibal nodded, as the pair reached out to shake hands, their eyes connecting for a moment too long.

Krissy's eyes darted between the pair, feeling a tension grow in the air. She felt uncomfortable at what was behind Tobias' eyes. Nothing. It was as if he was completely emotionless. Hannibal seemed to recognise this, studying the man in front of him, his own face tense. Franklyn ushered his friend away with a nervous smile, looking giddy after the interaction.

"Well, that was uncomfortable" Krissy announced, realising that Hannibal's arm was still wrapped around her waist.

"Franklyn can get a little overexcited at the best of times" Hannibal informed her, sipping his champagne.

"I meant his friend. There was something…not right with that guy" Krissy frowned.

"I suppose it's lucky that we are both currently off the clock" Hannibal responded, as Krissy clinked their drinks together, both watching as Tobias and Franklyn walked slowly towards the exit.

* * *

Krissy tried to keep quiet as she stumbled up the porch to Will's house, taking her heels off before she entered the home. However, her plan was quickly ruined as soon as she opened the door, a cacophony of barks erupting as soon as they saw her. Krissy placed her finger to her lips, using her other hand to stroke the dog's soft fur, as she shut the door behind her.

"Winston, help me out here, mate" Krissy exclaimed, looking to the leader of the pack, who merely tilted his head.

"Talking to animals? That's not a good sign" Will announced, from where he was sitting on a nearby armchair, as Krissy's eyes snapped up to his brown ones.

"Hey. Sorry to wake you" Krissy replied, removing her coat.

"I wasn't asleep—" Will cut himself off, as he saw what she was wearing under the long coat, eyes wide.

"Oh, right the dress. Yeah, I thought if the snobs were gonna' gossip about me, I'd really give them something to talk about" Krissy grinned, seeing how Will's mouth had gone slack.

Will gave no response, instead openly letting his gaze drift over her, feeling his mouth go dry. Krissy's lips twitched into a smirk as she realised he was checking her out, and decided she was definitely happy with her choice of outfit.

"What, uh…what did Hannibal think of the dress?" Will asked, a few moments later.

"He found it quite amusing I think" Krissy grinned.

"Did you enjoy your night?" Will inquired, as Winston ran over to him, licking his hand.

"Enjoyed? Maybe not. But I'm glad I went. I think Hannibal needs a friend" Krissy mumbled.

"Your head wasn't turned by all the glitz and glam?" Will suggested, quirking an eyebrow.

"Honestly? I'd rather have been home with you" Krissy admitted, realising that she had called Will's house her own home.

A rare genuine smile grew on Will's face at her words, as the dogs seemed to notice the mood, barking, and jumping around happily. Krissy felt a warm feeling in her chest, knowing what the emotion was. Happiness. They may have had the Chesapeake Ripper's shadow looming over them, but at that moment it didn't really seem to matter. She was right where she wanted to be.

* * *

Krissy pinched the bridge of her nose as burning pain shot through her head, making her openly grimace. It was strange, she had never suffered from headaches in the past, but they seemed to be becoming commonplace recently. She was just beginning to regret coming to one of Hannibal's lavish dinner parties when she felt a hand touch her shoulder. She flinched a little, her head snapping up to see Alana Bloom's concerned gaze. Krissy prayed that Alana wasn't about to bring up the Chesapeake Ripper, as she really wasn't up to conversing about the serial killer at that moment. Krissy could tell Hannibal's politeness was the only reason he continued to accept her wishes to avoid the subject, but his patience was wearing thin. She was even thinking about cancelling her therapy session with him later that week.

"Are you alright?" Alana inquired, seeing the way she had been hunched over.

"Probably all the wine going to my head" Krissy replied, indicating to the glass in her other hand.

"I heard Jack's banned you from the B.A.U" Alana stated, making Krissy scoff.

"More like grounded me. I'm not sure how he manages it since I've left home" Krissy mumbled, placing her wine glass on a nearby silver plater.

"I also heard you moved in with Will. I was a little…surprised" Alana confessed.

"I needed a place to crash, and Will had a spare bedroom. It's as simple as that" Krissy shrugged, but Alana didn't seem convinced.

"Does Will realise that?" Alana pushed, making Krissy frown.

"Will's an adult, fully capable of making decisions without you, Doctor Bloom" Krissy retorted.

"He's not in a good place. Becoming intimate with him-" Alana began, but Krissy quickly stopped her.

"Intimate? Are you trying to ask me if I fucked Will Graham?" Krissy scoffed, a little louder than she meant, earning a few scandalised looks from around them.

"I'm just trying to look out for my friend" Alana insisted.

"So am I" Krissy stated, with a shake of her head, as she went to turn away.

Krissy was just in time to see the man in question handing a bottle of wine to their host, their fingers touching for a moment, lingering longer than needed. Krissy saw Will smile shyly at Hannibal, his eyes darting between their hands and Hannibal's own smiling lips. She saw how Will flushed under Hannibal's intense gaze, giving the older man a nod before turning on his heel. Hannibal watched Will leave with a fond expression, as he looked down at the wine he had been given.

"What was that about?" Krissy exclaimed, walking over to Hannibal, who was busy opening the bottle of wine.

"Will was informing me that he couldn't stay-" Hannibal began, but Krissy stopped him.

"I meant the flirtatious little glances and smiles" Krissy interjected,

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean" Hannibal responded, pulling the cork off the wine bottle.

"Uh-huh…and I suppose the attractive Doctor Lecter doesn't know how to flirt either?" Krissy questioned.

"Now who's flirting" Hannibal exclaimed, quirking an eyebrow, as he poured the wine into two glasses.

"Hmm, it's not gonna' be that easy to sway me away from the subject, Hannibal. You should know by now I'm very stubborn" Krissy explained, as Hannibal passed her the glass of wine.

"Like a dog with a bone" Hannibal stated, with a teasing smile.

"I'm serious. Do you want a piece of that?" Krissy inquired, mischievously.

"You can be very vulgar when you want to be, Krissy" Hannibal scolded, with no heat behind his comment.

"Well, I'm not the only one. Alana Bloom was just asking me in not so many words, whether I've fucked Will" Krissy mumbled, taking a sip of her wine.

"…Have you?" Hannibal inquired, with a curious tone, surprising Krissy.

"I wouldn't tell you if even I had. I don't kiss and tell" Krissy informed him.

"Good to know" Hannibal exclaimed, clinking their wine glasses together, a hint of a smirk on his face.

* * *

"You know, when you asked me to come out with you, I hadn't expected it would mean trekking through the freezing fields around your house at the ass crack of dawn" Krissy announced, following Will through the snowy grass all around them.

He had woken her up early that morning, stating that he had heard an animal in distress, calling to him from a few fields over. Krissy hadn't thought too much into it, sleep still fogging her mind. There weren't many places that she wouldn't follow Will Graham at that point.

"What were you expecting? A date?" Will inquired, as Krissy gave him a look.

"No" Krissy chuckled, rushing forward so that she could walk beside him.

"…Why not?" Will couldn't help but ask.

"I don't think the word 'date' is really in my vocabulary" Krissy admitted, bringing her warm coat tighter around her chest.

"Are you telling me you've never been on a date?" Will scoffed, clearly not believing her.

"Never had a relationship, never had a date, never…well, there's just a lot of nevers, I guess" Krissy shrugged, making Will frown.

"I spent most of my first date talking about how bodily fluids leak out of human bodies when a person dies…the woman worked at a Mortician's. It was later that I realised she only worked as a receptionist there" Will informed her, making Krissy giggle.

"And who says your not a catch?" Krissy grinned, nudging him with her elbow.

"Besides, you went on a date with Hannibal recently" Will pointed out, as Krissy rolled her eyes.

"As a friend. Big difference there" Krissy reminded him.

"I'm glad" Will stated, as Krissy gave him a questioning look.

"That, uh…it was just as friends" Will mumbled, taking his glasses off to wipe them against his scarf.

"What about you and Hannibal? Just friends?" Krissy couldn't help but ask, making Will frown.

"Hannibal understands me. Accepts me even, it's-" Will started, but Krissy cut him off quickly.

"Intoxicating?" Krissy guessed, watching Will nod.

"…You are, of course, much prettier" Will told her, as Krissy laughed lightly.

"So, are you gonna' make me freeze my ass for much longer, or are we gonna' call it a day?" Krissy inquired, shivering under her coat.

"I think we'll have to. I'm not even seeing any tracks" Will muttered, an uncomfortable look on his face.

"C'mon, Graham. There's a tin of soup waiting back at the house with our name on it" Krissy exclaimed, grabbing Will's hand and pulling him back the way they had come.

* * *

_Lucid dreaming had always had its perks. Especially when it involved the same nightmares over and over again. It usually took some time for Krissy to become aware that she was dreaming, but once she realised, a peace quickly came over her. Knowing that she was in control. Something that she craved in life, something that had so often been taken away from her. That night was no different, as she was chased up the stairs by a mystery figure, hot on her tail. Her attacker wasn't truly a mystery, they just hadn't revealed themselves yet. Sometimes it would be her brother, her father…sometimes even her mother. Krissy pushed herself up the last step, coming to a dark landing and stumbling through a nearby open doorway. She slammed the door shut just in time, hearing banging fists from the other side, as she locked the door. Suddenly, the noise stopped, making her frown, as Krissy took a couple of steps back. She realised her mistake as she felt a hand wrap around her mouth, her attacker's other arm wrapping around her waist. Krissy quickly sent her elbow flying back, winding her attacker, whose grip on her loosened. She slammed her foot down onto theirs, whipping around and sending a hard punch to their face. Her eyes widened when instead of seeing one of her family standing behind her, she saw…**Hannibal.** His usually pristine appearance was now dishevelled, his lips turned up in a scowl, a murderous look in his eyes. Krissy immediately turned on her heel, ready to run away from him. She ripped the door open, ready to face who she assumed would be her brother on the other side. However, she didn't get very far, as she felt a pain shoot through her as soon as the door opened. Her eyes found Will standing across the landing, a gun in his shaking hands, his jaw tense. Krissy looked down to see blood pooling underneath her shirt, pain radiating all over her body. He had shot her. Krissy let out a cry as she felt something cold press against her neck, feeling a presence suddenly behind her._

_"You shouldn't have run" Hannibal's voice exclaimed, as he cut into her neck, cutting off her scream._

Krissy shot bolt upright in bed, her hands instantly clutching at her neck, trying to catch her breath. She ran a panicked hand through her hair, telling herself over and over again that it was just a dream. Hannibal wouldn't hurt her. And neither would Will…_right?_


	8. Confession

Krissy quickened her pace as she walked down the long corridors of the BAU, hoping to avoid bumping into Jack. She had heard from Will that they had a new case, and even if her Dad didn't want her help anymore, she was sure the rest of the team would appreciate it. Krissy soon found the group in the examination room, crowded around a victim who appeared to have had his throat ripped open. Even from halfway across the room, Krissy could see the man's vocal cords on display and grimaced.

"This takes a steady hand. A confidence. He's killed before" Will exclaimed, still unaware of her presence.

"Like this?" Zeller asked, as Krissy took a step forward.

"No, not like this. This is a skilled musician trying a new instrument" Will answered, as the group all shared a worried look.

Will's eyes darted around the room, taking a nervous step back as he seemed to come out of a trance. It didn't sound like he was describing the brutal murder of a human being. Krissy didn't miss the way Price raised an eyebrow at his friend, obviously picking up on this as well.

"Damn, suddenly I'm happy I skipped breakfast" Krissy announced, hoping to change the subject quickly.

"You're not supposed to be here" Zeller pointed out, as Krissy came to stand beside Will.

She frowned when she could see him practically shaking beside her, his skin shining with sweat. His nightmares had been becoming more frequent recently. He needed rest, not to be dealing with yet another murder.

"And when have I ever done what my dad says, Zeller" Krissy stated, as Beverly's lips twitched into a smile.

"You got any ideas on how we can find this son of a bitch?" Beverly inquired, as Krissy let her eyes roam over the victim.

"Something's made him change the way he kills. This is…exhibitionist behaviour. A message maybe…" Krissy trailed off.

"A message to who?" Beverly asked.

"I don't know. But whoever this killer is, they wanted to prove their skills" Krissy explained.

"They were trying to show someone how well they play" Will mumbled, running a hand over his sweaty face.

"Hey Will, can I talk to you for a second?" Krissy questioned, reaching out to touch his arm.

"Sure" Will nodded, allowing himself to be ushered out of the room.

"You're gonna' owe me fifty bucks by the end of the week" Zeller grinned at Price, who rolled his eyes.

"What's this about?" Beverly queried, as the two men shared a look.

"…We've made a bet. He thinks they're screwing, I don't" Jimmy informed her, as Beverly crossed her arms.

"You two are unbelievable…why don't we raise the stakes to a hundred?" Beverly smirked, as Zeller raised his hand.

"That's what I'm talking about" He chuckled, as the pair high fived, as Price let out a long sigh.

Out in the corridor, Krissy's eyes were filled with worry, as she could see the tremors in Will's hands. He wouldn't meet her eyes, but from the way they were zipping around their surroundings, Krissy could tell he was on edge.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" Krissy questioned, the silence she received being answer enough.

"C'mon, you're going home" Krissy exclaimed, reaching out to take Will's hand.

"I'm fine" He shook his head, vehemently.

"No, you're not. You look dead on your feet. You need some rest" Krissy insisted, feeling how sweaty Will's hand was.

"I can't remember the last time I slept for more than two hours in a row" Will admitted, wiping his other hand against his forehead.

"Well, I'm already feeling tempted to knock you out, so we'll figure something out" Krissy stated, as Will let out a low chuckle.

"I'm pretty sure you don't have clearance to be here right now, Krissy" A voice suddenly boomed from behind her.

"And I'm pretty sure you don't have the clearance to be telling me what to do right now" Krissy scoffed, turning around to face Jack.

"Very mature" Jack exclaimed, crossing his arms.

"We were just leaving anyway" Krissy stated, as she went to drag Will away, seeing Jack's eyes snap to their linked hands.

"Will has a job to do" Jack insisted, his lips drawn in a fine line.

"He's not your lapdog, Jack" Krissy snapped.

"He can't just walk away-" Jack began, but Krissy cut him off.

"He needs a break. One day off, can't you at least give him that?" Krissy muttered.

"…If we get any leads, I expect you to pick up the call" Jack stated, his eyes boring into Will's.

"Understood" Will nodded, realising he still hadn't pulled away from Krissy's grip on his hand.

Without another word, Krissy turned on her heel, starting to walk down the corridor, with Will close to her side. He hated the fact that he seemed to be putting a wedge between Krissy and her father, but she was stubborn. Unless she wanted to speak to Jack, no one else was going to be able to persuade her. A similar thought seemed to be running through Jack's mind, as he opened his mouth to call after her, but quickly decided against it. He didn't have the time to be running after Krissy.

* * *

"You seem to have settled into a comfortable routine with Will" Hannibal announced, at the start of their therapy session, later that day.

"Are you surprised?" Krissy inquired.

"Will and the word comfortable are not two words often used in the same sentence" Hannibal stated, as Krissy shrugged.

"Must be my charming personality" Krissy suggested, as Hannibal's lips twitched into a smile.

"What is it you're looking for from Will?" Hannibal asked, making Krissy frown.

"I just want whatever's best for him" Krissy replied, watching Hannibal raise an eyebrow.

"Even if that means staying away from him?" Hannibal persisted, as Krissy pursed her lips.

"You don't think we're good for each other?" Krissy questioned, a little surprised.

"Quite the contrary. I am only trying to decipher how co-dependent you have become" Hannibal went on.

"Well, that's a bold accusation. You bring him up just as much as I do" Krissy retorted, a glint of something in her eyes.

"We can change the subject if you'd like. There is something we are still yet to speak of-" Hannibal pointed out, as Krissy cut him off quickly.

"The last thing I want to speak about is the Chesapeake Ripper" Krissy mumbled, running a hand through her hair.

"You need to talk about this violation, Krissy. If not to me, then someone else" Hannibal persisted.

Krissy felt another headache coming on, almost as if just hearing the serial killer's name was enough to cause the reaction. Maybe Hannibal was right…maybe she did need to let it all out?

"I think I know why he took the picture of me and my Dad…but if I'm right…" Krissy trailed off, as Hannibal tilted his head.

"You seem conflicted" Hannibal pointed out, leaning forward in his chair.

"It's something I've been thinking about since Cassie Boyle's murder. Will had theorised that the Copycat wouldn't kill in the same way, that there would be no pattern. But he was completely wrong. It was like the Copycat wanted him to seem unreliable. But how would they know? Unless…they knew what Will had theorised" Krissy explained, a nervous expression on her face.

"You think this copycat is known to Will?" Hannibal asked, licking his lips, his face unreadable.

"Or they at least have inside info on the case. It could be someone inside the FBI. That would fit the profile" Krissy mumbled.

"Someone on his team?" Hannibal suggested, watching her lean back on her chair, looking incredibly tired.

"No. No way. I know them" Krissy shook her head, vehemently.

"You didn't realise your brother was a killer until it was too late—" Hannibal started, but was cut off at Krissy suddenly stood up from her chair, looking like she was ready to lunge at him.

"**_I knew exactly what my brother was!_**" Krissy snapped, a cold look in her eyes.

Hannibal was quick to push himself to his feet, taking a step towards her, never one to back down. Despite looming over her due to his height, Krissy didn't seem intimidated in the least. She didn't move back, as she stared up at him, anger burning behind her eyes. He wondered if it was there when she had killed the woman in the pool. He hoped it was.

"Not according to the police" Hannibal replied, quirking an eyebrow.

Krissy seemed to falter at this, her rage seeping away as she realised what she had said. Something that only Jack knew. All of a sudden, the room started to blur, a sharp pain shooting through her head, as black dots clouded her vision. Her knees almost buckled underneath her, but she was held up by strong arms, which guided her back to her chair.

"Krissy?" Hannibal's concerned voice questioned, as her vision slowly returned.

A frown grew on Krissy's face as she looked into Hannibal's hazel eyes and saw that the concern in his voice didn't match his eyes. Hannibal's eyes rarely showed emotion, she realised, sometimes there was an amused glint, a calculated stare, but that was all. Her thoughts were cut off as she felt his hand move up to her cheek, his voice more insistent this time.

"Krissy" He repeated, as her eyes began to focus.

"My head…it hurts…" Krissy mumbled, scrunching her eyes shut.

The pain continued to shoot through her skull, making Krissy grimace, as she could practically hear her blood pumping around her veins, deafening her. Hannibal kept his hand where it was, his thumb gently brushing against her cheek, as he lowered himself to his knees.

"The police believed that when you were twelve years old, your mother shot your sister, father and then turned the gun on herself. You and your brother were the only survivors. But that wasn't where the killing stopped, was it?" Hannibal suggested, as Krissy kept her eyes closed.

"Your brother killed eleven people in the year that followed their deaths. It was only during the eleventh murder that you found out what your brother had become. You turned him in. Jack helped you get an immunity deal…but if you weren't involved in the crimes why was it needed?" Hannibal pushed, as he felt Krissy shake lightly under his hand.

"Please, I don't—" Krissy began, but was cut off as Hannibal's hand suddenly moved to grip the back of her neck, her eyes snapping open.

"What truth are you avoiding?" Hannibal insisted, the grip on the back of her neck almost painful.

"I…I knew" Krissy admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Knew what?" Hannibal went on, watching her jaw tense.

"I knew what he was doing. I knew he was killing people. And I knew he killed our parents" Krissy replied, her voice cold.

"And yet you did nothing" Hannibal stated.

It was as if something snapped inside Krissy, who managed to shove Hannibal's arm away from her, her own hand lunging forward to grab the collar of his shirt as she pulled them both to their feet. Hannibal's steps faltered for a moment, a little surprised by her surprising strength. He supposed growing up in the environment she did, the only way to survive was to grow strong. In every way.

"What the hell are you doing? What the fuck do you want from me?!" Krissy yelled, her hand still coiled around his shirt, looking seconds away from striking him.

Hannibal found it difficult to keep the satisfied smirk off his face, as he watched façade melt away in front of him. He knew this was what was hiding behind the girl's eyes. He had sensed it the first moment he saw her.

"I'm trying to help you, Krissy" Hannibal answered, feeling a rare excitement flow through his veins.

She was unpredictable. In a way that Hannibal had only seen in Will before. He was never sure what she was going to do next. It made him feel strangely…alive.

"Do you have any siblings?" Krissy questioned, watching something flash over his face, before it disappeared a moment later.

"…I did. A sister" Hannibal confessed, his voice quiet.

"Then you should know why I did what I did" Krissy exclaimed, her grip loosening on his shirt.

"Your brother didn't kill your sister. Your mother did" Hannibal suggested, as Krissy took a sharp breath.

"He tried to save her" Krissy mumbled, tears welling in her eyes.

"…I just…I thought I could save him…" Krissy trailed off, her voice thick with emotion.

"Not everyone can be saved, Krissy" Hannibal told her.

"All those people died because I couldn't let my brother go. It was my fault…all of it was my fault" Krissy sniffled, pain clear in her voice.

"He is not your responsibility" Hannibal insisted, watching a tear roll down her cheek.

"I guess you were wrong, huh? I am a bad person" Krissy muttered, brushing the tear away.

Before she knew what was happening Hannibal's arms were wrapping around her, as she tried to push him away, but all the fight had gone out of her. One of Hannibal's hands stroked her hair lightly, as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"I've known many bad people in my life, Krissy. You are not one of them" Hannibal soothed, swaying them a little.

"Are you going to tell anyone?" Krissy asked.

"No. I'm going to protect you" Hannibal replied, holding her a little tighter.

Krissy being arrested for her brother's crimes was not part of Hannibal's plans. He needed to push her over the edge, until his own hand was the only thing she had to hold onto. However, he couldn't shy away from the fact that every day she was getting closer to finding out the Chesapeake Ripper's identity. She could lead to his downfall.

* * *

As Krissy parked her car outside Will's house, she frowned when she saw a familiar car a few metres away, a blanket of snow already laying on top the vehicle. Alana Bloom. Krissy quickly exited her car, shivering as the cold air hit her and rushed towards the porch. She rubbed underneath her eyes, hoping to mop up any mascara that had been smudged by her tears and pushed the door open, finding it was unlocked.

"Your making house calls?" Will asked, as Krissy caught the end of his conversation with Alana.

"Just a drive-by on my home. Since your not my patient" Alana stated, a flirtatious tone to her voice.

Krissy made her entrance known as she coughed loudly, watching the pair spin around. The dogs immediately came to greet her, Winston at the head of the group, as he licked at her hand. Will rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, backing away from Alana.

"I'm not interrupting, am I?" Krissy inquired.

"No. Alana was just checking in" Will quickly told her, as Krissy closed the door behind her.

"I think your decorating skills could use some practice, Will" Krissy scoffed, as she saw how he had taken half the chimney down with a hammer.

"I thought there was a…an animal up there…" Will trailed off, his eyes darting from Alana to Krissy.

Will grimaced as he saw the look on Alana's face. Sympathy. Maybe even a bit of pity. They both knew there had never been an animal up there. He had been hallucinating.

"I spoke to Jack today. He misses you, Krissy" Alana announced, turning her attention to the younger girl.

"Then he should tell me that instead of being passive aggressive" Krissy pointed out, taking off her winter coat.

"Maybe you should go talk to him. Stay there for the night…or even my place. I always have a spare couch" Alana suggested, as Krissy huffed.

"Is that your way of asking me out, Dr Bloom?" Krissy teased, flopping down on a nearby armchair, as one of Will's dogs jumped onto her lap.

Will's face fell as he realised Alana's true intentions. She was worried about Krissy's safety. She clearly thought he was so unstable that he could hurt her. Was she right, he wondered?

"Look, we appreciate you stopping by but these dogs need feeding, so…" Krissy trailed off, as Alana got the message.

"Look after yourselves. Both of you" Alana sighed, as she turned to head towards the door.

There was an uncomfortable silence as the door closed behind her, the only sound the dog's heavy breathing. Will ran a hand over his face, as he tried to arrange his thoughts.

"Maybe you should stay somewhere else" Will told her, as she pushed herself to her feet, the dog jumping from her lap.

"And miss out on your newest modern art exhibition?" Krissy teased, ushering to the gaping hole in the wall.

A frown grew on Will's face, as he suddenly reached out to brush his thumb over her cheek, noticing the tear tracks that were barely visible.

"You've been crying" He exclaimed, as Krissy bit her lip.

"My latest therapy session got a little intense" Krissy mumbled.

"Hannibal's methods have a way of doing that" Will replied, making Krissy scoff.

"I almost hit him" She admitted, making Will frown.

"What did he say to you?" Will queried, concern in his voice.

"We were talking about my brother, he was…he was pushing and I—" Krissy started, but Will cut her off.

"You don't need to tell me" Will informed her, noticing Krissy's conflicted expression.

"Will, I act like…like I'm okay. Like I'm normal and I just shrug everything off but…I can't. There's things about my past you need to know. Even if it means you won't want to know me anymore" Krissy sighed.

"Krissy, I know" Will told her, as she shook her head vehemently.

"Not this. It's about my brother" Krissy went on, as he reached out to take her hand in his.

"You knew what he was. What he was doing. You tried to protect him" Will theorised, as shock flashed over Krissy's face.

"My dad told you?" Krissy gaped, as Will shook his head.

"I've read about your past and when I met you…it'll all came together. It's what I do, remember?" Will pointed out, as Krissy looked down at their joined hands.

"I could have stopped him. I should have" Krissy cried, cursing the tears that welled in her eyes once again.

"He saved you from your parents. You wanted to return that. Krissy, you were twelve years old. I…I understand" Will told her, as their eyes connected.

"I thought you'd hate me" Krissy mumbled, as Will squeezed her hand.

"I don't think that's possible" Will replied, as a fond smile grew on Krissy's face.

Just as Krissy was beginning to think everything could work out, she watched as Will's eyes slowly became unfocused, flickering to the wall behind her, his shoulder's tense. He was hearing things again. It was happening more and more, neither of them could deny it. She quickly reached out to place her hand against his cheek, as sweat began to coat his face. She was starting to wonder if he was sick.

"I…I feel like I'm losing my mind" Will cried, scrunching his eyes shut.

"Will, stay with me, okay? I'm right here" Krissy insisted.

"There was no animal, Krissy" Will muttered, placing his hands over his ears, hoping to block out what he was hearing.

"I know…and it's okay—" Krissy began, but he quickly stopped her.

"No, it's not! I'm hearing things, I can't sleep, my head feels like it's on fire…" Will trailed off.

"Hey, whatever's going on with you, we'll figure it out. I'm not going anywhere" Krissy told him, as Will's eyes fluttered open.

Will leaned into her touch, a shaky breath leaving his lips, the contrast of her cold hand against his warm cheek felt good. Krissy felt her heart speed up as Will's eyes snapped up to hers, holding her gaze. His blue eyes were full of emotion, desperation behind them as he leaned closer to her. They were both breathing heavily as Will's eyes darkened and dropped to her lips. Krissy's heart beat wildly in her chest as she felt Will's lips press against her own, his hands sliding over her waist to pull her towards him. Krissy was quick to respond as her hand moved from his cheek, to grip his hair, deepening the kiss. There was a hunger behind Will's actions, as he twisted them around to press Krissy into the nearby wall, his hands slipping under her shirt. Krissy let out a moan at this action, her fingers tugging on Will's hair in response. He slowly trailed his hands up her body, wanting to feel every part of her, coming to a halt as he touched her cheek. His forehead wrinkled as he felt something wet against his fingers, his eyes slowly fluttering open. He jumped back as he saw blood dripping down Krissy's cheek, staining her features.

"Will?" Krissy questioned, seeing the scared look on his face.

In the blink of an eye, Krissy's face returned to normal, the only difference a slight flush to her face. Will let out a shaky breath as he realised it had been a hallucination. Was he seeing things now?

"Hey, what's wrong?" Krissy inquired, reaching out for him.

"I…I shouldn't…I need to go…" Will stuttered, rushing towards the door to grab his jacket.

"Will, wait!" Krissy exclaimed, but he was already ripping the door opening, sprinting off into the cold night.

Krissy ran a hand through her messy hair, trying to calm her heart which was still beating fast. Will had left her even more confused than ever.

* * *

"I kissed Krissy" Will blurted out, the moment Hannibal opened the door to his home.

Hannibal was too stunned to reply for a few seconds as Will barged his way in, dusting off his coat which had a thin layer of snow over it. The man seemed twitchier than usual.

"Well, come in" Hannibal muttered, allowing to let the rudeness go.

"Tell me, what was Krissy's reaction?" Hannibal inquired, as the pair made their way into the kitchen.

"Very…responsive" Will answered, which was evident from the way his hair was ruffled.

"I'm wondering then why you felt compelled to drive an hour in the snow to tell me about it" Hannibal pointed out, wiping down his counter with a kitchen towel.

"I thought, uh…I thought I had hurt her…" Will trailed off, as Hannibal paused momentarily.

"Had you?" Hannibal asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"No. But it was enough to make me stop" Will sighed, shakily.

"Why did you kiss her?" Hannibal questioned, making Will scoff.

"She has this way of taking down my boundaries, the walls I've built around myself…not to mention she is very kissable" Will mumbled, as Hannibal chuckled lightly.

"You've waited a long time, which suggests you were kissing her for a reason" Hannibal pointed out, as Will mulled over this.

"I heard an animal in my chimney. I broke through the wall to get it out. I didn't find anything inside. Alana had come to see me, and the way she looked at me…with **_pity_**. She wanted to leave; I could tell…I had made her feel uncomfortable. Just like everyone else" Will explained, running a hand over his face.

"Then Krissy arrived?" Hannibal guessed.

"I feel…different with her. Lighter. The way she looks at me doesn't change. She accepts me…every part of me. And I want…" Will trailed off, not sure how to finish the sentence.

"Every part of her?" Hannibal suggested, as Will nodded, slowly.

"Jack's going to kill me" Will scoffed, coming to sit by the counter.

"There is no reason for Jack to discover this change in your relationship" Hannibal exclaimed, watching Will raise an eyebrow.

"It was just a kiss, Hannibal" Will retorted, but the older man didn't seem convinced.

"A kiss that clearly meant a lot to you and I imagine to Krissy too" Hannibal went on, coming to sit opposite Will.

"Are you blessing our relationship?" Will scoffed, his hands fidgeting nervously.

"If Jack is the only thing holding you back, I'm sure he can be…managed" Hannibal stated, dismissively.

"I'm thirteen years older than her, she's my colleague, not to mention I'm…" Will trailed off, a look of pure self-loathing on his face.

"What?" Hannibal pushed.

"I'm unstable" Will exclaimed.

"Don't push Krissy away. I fear you will regret it" Hannibal told him, as Will appeared to mull this over.

"…I hesitate telling you this, as it borders on a violation of doctor-patient confidentiality. A patient told me today he suspects a friend of his may be involved with the murder at the symphony…He owns a music store in Baltimore, specializing in string instruments. Perhaps you should interview him" Hannibal announced, a calculated look in his eyes.

* * *

Will never came back to the house that night, but Krissy was relieved to find out from Beverly that he had been into work. Of course, that meant he was only avoiding her. She hoped he had stayed in a motel, rather than sleeping in his car, but the latter seemed more Will's style. Winston had his head on Krissy's lap, his large eyes questioning where Will was, seeming as worried as she was. When Krissy's phone rang, she couldn't help but be disappointed when she saw it was Hannibal.

"Hey" Krissy greeted, as she picked up the call.

"Hello Krissy, have you heard from Will today?" Hannibal's voice inquired, a hint of concern behind it.

"No. Not since last night. What's wrong?" She queried, a frown growing on her face.

"I fear I may have made a mistake. I have informed Will of a new suspect in the murder of the Trombonist, but I am concerned he is not well enough to apprehend them" Hannibal explained, as Krissy pushed herself to her feet.

"What's the suspect's name?" Krissy inquired.

"Tobias Budge" Hannibal replied, as Krissy came to a halt.

"The weirdo at the Opera?" She asked.

"My patient Franklyn has been telling me very worrying things. I felt it was my duty to inform Will" Hannibal went on.

"Do you think Tobias is dangerous?" Krissy questioned, already heading towards the door.

"Very" Hannibal sighed, as Krissy bit her lip.

"Alright, I'll find out where Will is, hopefully stop him before he interviews this guy. You shouldn't see Franklyn today, okay? He could be just as dangerous" Krissy stated.

"Of course. I appreciate the concern. Please, be careful" Hannibal replied, before hanging up the call.

A satisfied smile was on his lips, the concern from his voice never reaching his face. Standing swiftly from his chair, he walked over to his appointment book, finding Franklyn's number quickly. He was interested to see how his plan would play out.

* * *

As Krissy walked up the street to Tobias Budge's home, she sent a thank you text to Beverly, who had been the one to leak the address to her. Krissy decided she really needed to find a way to thank the woman properly. She was quickly distracted when she saw a familiar man running out of Tobias' home, coming to stop in the middle of the road. Will spun around, as if he was trying to spot something in particular. What he didn't see was a van hurtling towards him, showing no sign of stopping. Krissy ran out into the road, pulling him back at the last second, as the van went whizzing past them. She didn't loosen her tight grip on his arm, worried he would run off again.

"Jesus, Will! What the hell was that?" Krissy cried, as they both tried to calm their breathing.

"I thought…I thought I heard…it doesn't matter…" Will stuttered.

"The fact that you were almost roadkill doesn't matter?!" Krissy gaped, dumbfounded.

"I need to…Tobias Budge, I think he's the killer—" Will began, but Krissy cut him off.

"Then call for backup" Krissy stated, as Will nodded, making the call.

She was just allowing relief to flood through her when Will started to walk back towards the house after calling in for help. She raised her arms up in exasperation but knew he wouldn't listen to her. They were both as stubborn as each other.

"Sorry about that, I…Officers?" Will called out, when he opened the front door to find no sign of the two police officers he had arrived with.

"Officers?" He exclaimed, his hand reaching for his gun.

"Stay behind me" Will told her, taking the gun from its holster.

He cautiously walked towards an adjoining room, pushing the door open with his foot, his eyes widening at the scene in front of him. A police officer lay on the floor, a sharp instrument going straight through his neck, a pool of blood growing on the floor. Krissy was instantly rushing forward, crouching down beside the man, trying to feel for a pulse. From the way the blood was still flowing from the man's neck, he could have only been stabbed less than a minute ago. Krissy sighed as she felt no pulse under her fingers and knew there would be no saving the man. He had already lost too much blood. She felt sick as she looked down at the red substance which now coated her fingers.

"Shit…shit" Krissy mumbled, scrunching her eyes shut as her surroundings began to blur in front of her.

"Krissy?" Will's voice broke through the silence, as he reached out to grip her shoulder.

"I'm going to find Tobias. Stay here" Will ordered, letting go of her shoulder, and walking towards a closed door.

"…Unlikely" Krissy muttered under her breath, as Will ripped the door open and began to descend down the stairs that lay on the other side.

The idea of leaving Will to face the killer on his own felt almost offensive to Krissy, as she waited for him to reach the bottom of the staircase before following him. She hadn't gotten far before a crashing sound had her sprinting forward. She was just in time to see Tobias using metal wire in an attempt to strange Will, whose hands were the only thing keeping the sharp weapon from his neck. Before she knew what she was doing, Krissy had grabbed an industrial clamp from a nearby workbench and sent it slamming down on Tobias' head. The man dropped to his knee's instantly, blood beginning to seep from the wound. Will turned to give her a grateful nod, looking down at his hands which had been sliced by the metal.

"Are you okay—" Krissy was cut off as she felt a hand grab her ankle.

Her eyes widened as she saw Tobias gripping her leg from where he was laying on the floor, before he gave a hard tug, throwing her onto her back. Will was quick to grab Tobias by the shoulder's, shoving him away from Krissy, as a fist fight began between the two men. Tobias was slower in his movements, most likely due to his head wound, as Will managed to block his hits. However, Tobias managed to get the upper hand, as he grabbed a handful of Will's hair, slamming his head into the wall. Krissy's hands balled into fists as she watched Will flop to the floor, as he lost consciousness immediately. Grabbing a jar which had rolled onto the floor, she smashed it on the ground, grabbing a large shard and pushed herself to her feet. Tobias never saw her coming, as she lunged at him, shoving the glass into his back, just where she knew his kidney would be. The man let out a howl of pain, as she pushed the glass in further until it was almost full embedded into his skin. A hard elbow to her face had her stumbling backwards, as Tobias quickly whipped around, sending another punch her way. She managed to duck just before he could land the blow, but Tobias seemed to predict this and kicked out at her, almost pushing her off her feet. Now disorientated, he was able to land another blow to her face, as Krissy let out a cry, the impact making her spin around. Tobias used this to his advantage, managing to get behind her, wrapping his arm around her neck and squeezing hard. Krissy tried to claw at his arms, but he was far stronger than her. She quickly lifted one of her legs, using a nearby workbench to push back from, and sent them hurtling towards the wall. Tobias screamed in agony as the brick wall pressed into his back, the shard of glass becoming further embedded into his body. Sending the back of her head slamming into his, Krissy managed to get free from his grip. However, Tobias was soon lunging at her again, his hands wrapping around her neck this time, as he used all his strength to slam her into the floor, her head banging against the concrete, as black dots covered her vision. Just as she was losing consciousness, a loud bang grabbed her attention, as Tobias turned to see Will on the floor, a gun in his hand. Another bullet was sent his way, but Tobias ducked just in time.

"He said you'd be good but I have to admit I'm impressed…I will enjoy killing you both" Tobias smirked, taking a long instrument out from under his sleeve.

Krissy's eyes widened as she recognised it was identical to the instrument that had been used to kill the officer upstairs. Tobias was rushing towards Will in the next moment, kicking the gun from his hands. He then grabbed Will by the collar and pulled him up to his level, seeing the man was barely conscious. Blood dripped down Will's cheek, as fought to keep his eyes open.

"Get away from him!" Krissy cried, lunging towards the bigger man.

She managed to wrestle him off Will, slamming Tobias into the wall, her hands gripping his shirt. Krissy let out a choked gasp as Tobias suddenly sent his hand forward, feeling a burning pain shoot through her. Her eyes flickered down to see the sharp instrument was going straight through her, effectively impaling her. She cried out in pain as Tobias ripped the instrument out of her, blood splattering against his white shirt. The next moment, everything went quiet as something whizzed past the pair, catching Tobias' ear. Krissy realised quickly it had been a bullet, the noise having completely deafened her. Tobias shoved Krissy away from him, as she stumbled backwards, feeling strong arms wrap around her. She watched as Tobias sprinted away, limping up the stairs and to freedom.

"Y-you should go after him…he's getting away…" Krissy stuttered, as Will's hand pressed against her bleeding wound, blood spilling over his fingers.

"I'm not going anywhere" Will repeated her earlier words, helping her to lay on the ground, pulling her close to him.


	9. Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire

Krissy could only remember flashes of what happened after her fight with Tobias. The paramedics shining a torch in her eyes, being wheeled past bright lights, a needle going in her arm…everything seemed to happen in a matter of minutes. Her eyes were heavy as she slowly started to come round, only half-conscious, hearing familiar voices all around her. Jack's voice was the first she heard, his voice thick with emotion, as he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. She thought Bella may have been with him, but she couldn't be sure. Will's voice was next, but further away this time, as he was cut off by Jack's raised tone. She fell asleep again soon after, only being awoken as she felt a finger brush along the back of her hand. The touch was tentative as if testing the waters. Krissy didn't stir, expecting it to be her father, as she felt the bed dip by her thigh. The featherlight touch continued for a few moments, now drifting up her arm.

"Jūs taip gerai padarėte" A smooth voice exclaimed, in a language, Krissy didn't recognise.

However, the voice was familiar, as she placed the tone immediately. Hannibal. He didn't seem to realise she was awake, leading to her to wonder if she was only dreaming. His surprisingly soft fingers left her arm, only to reappear on her cheek a few seconds later, brushing a strand of her behind her ear. Ever the perfectionist, Krissy thought to herself. A cold burst of air had her shivering a minute later, as she presumed Hannibal had left. The next time she awoke, she felt much more alert, her eyes fluttering open this time. They quickly found Will sitting by her bedside, his chin resting on the back of his hands, a permanent frown on his face.

"Will?" Krissy murmured, her voice cracking.

"Hey…how are you feeling?" Will questioned, the frown disappearing in a second, replaced by a genuine smile.

"Like I've been skewered" Krissy replied, looking down at her aching body, pulling the sheets away from her stomach.

She grimaced as she pulled the hospital gown she was wearing to the side, finding a large bandage covering her stomach. More scars to add to her body. The more alert she felt, the more intense the pain in her stomach became, causing her to wonder how long she had been asleep.

"What time is it?" Krissy inquired, as Will's eyes flickered over to the clock across the room.

"Nine in the morning" Will informed her, causing Krissy's eyes to widen.

"I've been unconscious for over twenty hours?" Krissy gaped, surprised.

"It looked like you could use the rest" Will stated, as she scoffed lightly.

"You don't look like you slept all night" Krissy exclaimed, taking in the dark circles underneath his eyes.

"No rest for the wicked" Will joked, but there was no humour to his voice.

"What happened to Tobias?" Krissy asked, feeling panic rising in her gut.

"He's dead" Will answered, simply, watching the way Krissy visibly relaxed.

"Did you kill him?" Krissy queried, as Will shook his head.

"It was Hannibal. Tobias went to his office to find one of his patients. Franklyn. There was a fight, Franklyn didn't make it out alive" Will explained.

"Is Hannibal okay?" Krissy asked, growing more convinced that his hands had just been a dream.

"He's fine. A few bruises, a nasty stab wound to his leg…but he fared much better than you" Will pointed out, as Krissy let out a sigh of relief.

"How's your head?" Krissy questioned, ushering to the nasty bruise half concealed by his curly hair.

"The bruising will heal" Will stated, as Krissy gave him a look.

** _He wasn't sure if his mind could heal the same._ **

Krissy's hand reached over to his bandaged ones, wounded from his fight with Tobias. She gave the back of his hand a squeeze, as their eyes connected, causing her heart to beat a little faster as for once Will didn't look away. She found herself getting lost in his eyes, as neither one of them spoke, simply opting to bask in each other's presence.

"You saved me" Will exclaimed, his voice thick with emotion.

"Well, I couldn't just let Tobias kill you, could I? I mean, where would I live?" Krissy teased, as a fond smile grew on Will's lips.

"I'm glad you've got your priorities in place" Will replied, as Krissy chuckled lightly.

"Maybe I'd miss you just a little bit too" Krissy stated, a shy expression on her face.

Her eyes were full of warmth, a feeling which spread through Will's chest as he stared back at her. Only minutes before he thought his shoulders would crumble from the weight being placed on them, but one smile from the girl in front of him, had all that dissipating.

"I'm glad your okay" Will told her, as he brought her hand up to his lips, pressing a quick kiss to her fingers.

"Will, we should talk about—" Krissy began, but was cut off as the door was suddenly ripped open, as Jack came rushing through the door.

"Oh thank God" Jack sighed, as he came to stand by her bedside, practically shoving Will out of the way.

"It's Will you should be thanking, Dad. If it wasn't for him, Tobias would have done a lot more than just stab me" Krissy explained, her eyes still on Will.

"He is the reason you were there in the first place, Krissy. What were you thinking?" Jack chided her, as Krissy's jaw tensed.

"I wanted to stop a killer. I would have thought you could relate" Krissy retorted.

"Not if it means putting you in danger…Krissy, I want you to come home with me. Clearly, I can't trust you to—" Jack started, but Krissy cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"That's not gonna' happen" Krissy scoffed.

"Now you're being childish" Jack muttered, as Krissy grit her teeth together.

"Why do you want me to move back in?" Krissy questioned.

"To stop you making any more reckless decisions. So I can keep you safe!" Jack exclaimed.

"That's the wrong answer" Krissy mumbled, barely loud enough to be heard.

"…I want to see him" Krissy announced, as both men frowned in confusion.

"Who?" Jack inquired.

"Tobias. I want to see his body" Krissy announced, anger growing behind her eyes.

* * *

Jack was uneasy as he unzipped the bag that Tobias' body laid inside, watching Krissy's reaction intently. He was unsure of his daughter's intentions, not to mention how many rules he was breaking by allowing her to see the corpse. She had only just been released by the hospital, and she was still weak. But in the three days that had passed since she first asked to see the body, her resolve hadn't changed. Krissy's eyes widened a little as she took in the broken body in front of her. Cuts and bruises littered Tobias' body, as Krissy realised, all in strategic positions. A stab wound to the arm, punctured right into the muscle must have stopped an attack, and decolouration near Tobias' back showed that Hannibal must have sent a hard punch to his kidney.

"What happened to his arm?" Krissy questioned, seeing how a bone was protruding from his arm.

"Shattered. With the help of a ladder in Dr Lecter's office" Jack informed her, as Krissy's forehead wrinkled.

"Can I see the autopsy report?" Krissy asked as Jack's lips drew into a fine line.

"C'mon, Dad. You've already broken all the rules, what's one more?" Krissy insisted, as Jack reluctantly grabbed the document and handed it to her.

Krissy quickly skimmed through the pages, her eyes finding one piece of interesting information. Her eyes flickered back to Tobias' body, her gaze falling on his neck.

"He has a fractured larynx" Krissy stated, as Jack shrugged.

"Hannibal was lucky to land the blow" Jack told her, as Krissy's frown deepened.

"How did Franklyn die?" Krissy couldn't help but ask.

"Tobias snapped his neck. I suppose Hannibal didn't expect him to act so rashly" Jack proposed, as Krissy nodded slowly.

"…Was it clean?" Krissy asked, as Jack faltered for a moment.

"Clean?" He tried to clarify.

"His neck. Was it cleanly snapped…did he die straight away?" Krissy went on, as Jack gave her a strange look.

"Yes. The coroner thinks he died instantly" Jack answered, as Krissy handed the document back.

"Good" Krissy mumbled, as Jack quirked an eyebrow.

"He probably didn't even realise his friend betrayed him before he died" Krissy pointed out.

* * *

Later that day, Krissy convinced Jack to drop her off at Hannibal's home, insisting she was in dire need for a therapy session. In reality, she just wanted to make sure her friend was as unharmed as everyone kept saying. The moment Hannibal opened the door, her eyes were drawn to the cut on his lip, and the black eye he was sporting. He seemed a little surprised to see her but quickly masked this, as always.

"I wasn't expecting to see you this evening" Hannibal exclaimed, as Krissy gave him a small smile.

"I was worried about you" She admitted, as Hannibal tilted his head.

"I am not the one who has spent the last few days in a hospital bed, Krissy" Hannibal pointed out.

"True. I've basically been having to live off Jell-O…green Jell-O, Hannibal. It's been pretty traumatising" Krissy insisted, as a rare smile grew on Hannibal's lips.

"I am being unspeakably rude. Please come in, I will find a dessert that will whet your appetite" Hannibal replied, stepping out of the doorway.

"And I will readily accept this kind offer" Krissy grinned, walking into the building.

Hannibal walked behind her, seeing she kept at a steady pace, her posture stiff but she no other signs of discomfort. He walked with a slight limp, opting to emphasise this injury once they entered the dining room, wanting to see what Krissy's reaction to this would be. When she opted to sit at the elegant dining table, she couldn't stop the grimace on her features, feeling pain shoot through her abdomen. Krissy let out a shaky breath, her lips were drawn in a fine line, her eyes downcast. Hannibal knew by now that Krissy hated showing any sign of pain or weakness, remembering how she had hidden her injuries from her fight with Stammet's.

"Are you taking your analgesia?" Hannibal inquired, coming to a halt by her chair.

"I opted not to be discharged with any" Krissy shrugged, clearly regretting this decision when another wave of pain hit her.

"That was an unwise decision to make, Krissy" Hannibal informed her.

"Yeah, I'm full of them" Krissy mumbled, making Hannibal sigh.

"What do you hope to achieve by this form of abuse against your own body?" Hannibal asked, as Krissy's eyes snapped up to his.

"It's not abuse" Krissy scoffed, as Hannibal mulled over this.

"I suppose self-harm would be the more accurate term" Hannibal clarified.

"I'm not here for a therapy session, Hannibal. Stop psycho-analysing" Krissy insisted, as Hannibal gave a curt nod.

"My apologies. As I am sure you understand, sometimes in our professions it is difficult to change between professional and personal relationships" Hannibal explained, before making his way to the kitchen, his limp on full display.

Krissy quirked an eyebrow when Hannibal returned with a larger plate than she had been expecting, presented in a perfect manner, from the way the meat was cut to the way the sauce was drizzled over the meal. It certainly wasn't a dessert.

"My sweet tooth will be disappointed" Krissy teased, as Hannibal placed the meal in front of her.

"I believe this meal is far more suitable for your palate" Hannibal told her, a smirk growing on his lips.

"…You're not eating?" Krissy frowned, as Hannibal pulled out the seat next to her.

"Part of what I find so pleasurable about cooking is watching the people around me enjoy their meal" Hannibal offered, sitting down beside her, allowing a small grimace to fall across his face.

"Will told me Tobias stabbed you in the leg. You should be resting" Krissy pointed out, as Hannibal nodded, with a small smile.

"I have stopped seeing patients for a few days, to aid my recuperation" Hannibal exclaimed, which seemed to placate Krissy.

"When Will told me about the fight, I thought you could be dead" Krissy admitted.

"I almost was. Tobias was an unpredictable fighter" Hannibal replied, as Krissy began to cut the meat up in front of her.

"Well, clearly the better man won" Krissy smiled, taking her first bite.

Her tastebuds exploded all at once, having forgotten how much she missed Hannibal's meals. The amount of preparation…emotion, that he put into his cooking was impressive. It was a labour of love, she thought to herself.

"Is the meal up to your high expectations?" Hannibal asked, after a few moments.

"It's as perfect as always, Hannibal" Krissy grinned, as Hannibal shared the expression.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Krissy couldn't stop the words that came bubbling to the surface. Hannibal seemed to be dealing with the fact that he was almost murdered a little too well.

"I know it's not easy for you to let your guard down, Hannibal. I get that, but…I'm here, I guess. My shoulder's free" Krissy told him, her eyes snapping up to his hazel ones.

"…The idea of returning to practice feels strange. I will sit where I almost died and give therapy. It's an odd notion" Hannibal explained.

"You could move your office. Get away from that reminder" Krissy suggested, as Hannibal quickly shook his head.

"I will not shy away from the incident…or my own actions" Hannibal stated.

"Hey, you acted in self-defence. Anyone would have done the same in your situation. I sure as hell would" Krissy insisted, as she swivelled around in her chair to face him.

"He informed me he had killed two people when he arrived at my door. I believed you and Will were both dead. I was angry…angrier than I had expected" Hannibal mumbled, as Krissy's eyes softened.

Without warning, she surged forward, wrapping her arms around Hannibal's shoulders, feeling how he tensed for a moment as if expecting an attack. Hannibal's hand slowly came to rest on the small of the back, his touch light, as she pulled him closer. She knew Hannibal wasn't exactly the hugging type, but she couldn't think of any other way to comfort him.

"Thank you" Krissy exclaimed, not needing to see how Hannibal frowned in confusion at this statement.

"For killing Tobias. I'm…I'm glad" Krissy admitted, feeling Hannibal's other hand come to rest against the back of her head.

"I'm sorry he hurt you" Hannibal replied, stroking her hair softly.

"It wasn't your fault" Krissy told him, closing her eyes, enjoying the feel of his hands.

"Perhaps not, but I feel responsible for Franklyn's demise" Hannibal informed her.

"Why was he in your office?" Krissy couldn't help but ask, remembering her warning.

"I couldn't leave a patient in need. Besides, I had grown somewhat attached to the man. In hindsight, I wish I had turned him away from my door" Hannibal went on.

Krissy's eyes snapped open as she felt a strange chill go down her spine. There was something wrong with the tone of his voice as he spoke. The words were cold, but there was a strange emotion behind them. If she didn't know any better, it almost sounded like Hannibal had been smirking as he spoke.

"**_It's a little strange, don't you think?_**" A familiar voice announced, from the chair behind Hannibal.

Krissy felt her whole body shake as her eyes connected with her brother's. She jumped back in fright, almost falling onto her back, as she clutched at her chair to keep her balance. Her eyes never left her brother's eyes, peeking over Hannibal's shoulder.

"_**A snapped neck. Not exactly Tobias' M.O, is it? Far too clinica**l_" Ken went on, as Krissy scrunched her eyes shut, hoping to drown out his voice.

He wasn't there. He couldn't be. Krissy's heart hammered in her chest as she realised she was hallucinating again. Her fight or flight response was kicking in as she felt someone reach out and touch her shoulder lightly.

"Krissy? Can you hear me?" Hannibal questioned, his head tilted, as she realised he had been calling out her name for the last few seconds.

"I…I need to go…I'm sorry" Krissy stuttered, as she pushed herself to her feet.

She stumbled out of the room as quickly as her legs allowed, pushing past the pain that shot from her abdomen as she did so. She needed some air. She needed Will.

Hannibal watched as the young girl fled from the room, his eyes flickering to the chair behind him, which she had been staring at so intently only moments before. She was hallucinating, that was clear. The Lorazepam in her system seemed to be working well. He wondered what she had seen. Or rather…who she had seen.

* * *

By the time Krissy approached Will's classroom, she had already begun to calm down. She was aware of her delusions, that was what was important. She still knew what was real and what wasn't. As long as she held onto that, she would be okay.

"This killer's design was to remain unnoticed. A ghost. That is what excited him. Until now…why is he coming out into the light?" She heard Will's voice from the down the corridor, a frown growing on her own face.

While she expected he was talking about the new case that her father and he were working on, his words also rang true for the Chesapeake Ripper. Something must have changed in the killer's life. He was become bolder, almost like he wanted to be found. Her thoughts came to a halt when she entered the lecture hall, seeing most of the lights were off, and no students were anywhere to be seen. Will was standing by his desk, an unfocused look in his eyes, as if he was in a trance.

"Will?" She spoke up, as the man visibly flinched.

"Are you okay?" Krissy questioned, watching as Will's eyes darted around the room.

"Uh…yes. I'm…I'm fine" Will exclaimed, taking off his glasses, wiping at his sweaty forehead as he did so.

"I'm glad to see your still a terrible a liar" Krissy retorted, crossing her arms.

"And you're as blunt as ever. Come on in…I promise I won't try to kiss you again" Will told her, with a small smile.

"Never say never" Krissy grinned, coming to stand beside him, leaning against his desk.

"…You were hallucinating, weren't you?" Krissy inquired, as Will gave her a curt nod.

"We're like two peas in a pod, Will" Krissy mumbled, her voice lacking its usual humour.

"I…I was at a crime scene this morning. I blinked and I found myself standing outside Hannibal's office. I have no idea of how I got there or what I did in between" Will admitted, as Krissy's eyes widened.

"Wait, this morning?" Krissy inquired, as Will nodded again.

"Will, you came to see me. I got discharged this morning. You…you really don't remember that?" Krissy frowned, watching as Will practically flinched at this realisation.

"Did I…seem strange?" Will inquired, as Krissy mulled this over.

"You were twitchier than usual. But…no, not really. You carried my bags to the car. Said you were happy I was getting out. I just thought you were tired" Krissy mumbled, feeling guilty.

"I am" Will sighed, letting his head fall into his hands.

"…What did you mean we're like two peas in a pod? Did something happen?" Will questioned, a moment later, remembering what she had said.

"Uh, no. I'm good. Honestly" Krissy told him, as he quirked an eyebrow.

"Now who's lying" Will pointed out, catching her eyes for a moment.

"You know how they say two wrongs, don't make a right. I get the feeling that goes for two unstable people, doesn't make for a good relationship too" Krissy suggested.

"Is this you breaking up with me, Miss Crawford?" Will questioned, a teasing tone to his voice.

"It's not like it's a good time to start something" Krissy pointed out.

"There's never a good time…" Will trailed off, as he lowered his hand to brush against the back of her hand.

"I don't think I'd be good for you, Will" Krissy confessed, but she didn't pull her hand away.

"Shouldn't that be up to me to decide?" Will argued.

"You're the one who pulled away first" Krissy stated, referring to their kiss.

"I won't this time" Will said, in a low voice, as he placed his warm palm over her hand.

Krissy felt her heart flutter a little, her eyes snapping up to Will's, finding that he held her gaze. She flipped her hand over so they could link their fingers together, as she leaned a little closer.

"What changed?" She questioned.

"I realised something important" Will told her, using his other hand to reach out to brush his fingers against her cheek.

"I need you" Will exclaimed, his voice full of emotion.

With her heart hammering in her chest, Krissy leant forward, pressing her lips against Will's, feeling his hand brush through her hair, pulling her closer. The kiss was slower than their first, but still held the same amount of emotion behind it. Everything seeped away, apart from Will's lips on hers. Krissy couldn't stop the smile that grew on her lips, as she pulled away, seeing the almost peaceful look on Will's face.

"I need you too" Krissy replied, pressing their foreheads together, as they both closed their eyes.

* * *

It took a few days to pluck up the courage to face Hannibal again, but she knew she couldn't avoid the older man forever. If Hannibal was surprised when she arrived at their pre-booked appointment, he didn't show it. They quickly found their places, sitting opposite each other, as Krissy noticed their chairs were even closer than usual.

"I'm sorry for my outburst the other day. I shouldn't have left like that" Krissy announced, feeling the tension in the air.

"It's quite alright, Krissy" Hannibal soothed, but she still wasn't convinced.

"It was rude" She pointed out, leaning back on her chair.

"Perhaps. But there are certain individuals I can make exceptions for. You are high on that list" Hannibal explained, as Krissy's lips twitched into a smile.

"…Is Will also on that list?" Krissy couldn't help but ask, the smile quickly falling from her face.

"He is" Hannibal nodded.

"I kissed him" Krissy exclaimed, biting her lip.

"I know. Where do you think Will went directly after your encounter?" Hannibal asked, quirking an eyebrow, as Krissy's eyes widened a little.

"Were you two gossiping about me?" Krissy suggested, mischievously.

"I wouldn't dream of it" Hannibal said, a smirk playing on his lips.

"I suppose it would be a breach of patient confidentiality if I asked what you talked about" Krissy exclaimed, as Hannibal gave a quick nod of his head.

"It would" He agreed.

"Well, that's okay…cause' he kissed me again. Today. In his classroom" Krissy went on, an almost childish glee in her voice.

"One kiss could be deemed a momentary lapse…but two kisses suggests a habit" Hannibal offered in response.

"I can't say I mind being Will Graham's habit" Krissy grinned, looking happier than Hannibal had seen her in a long time.

"…This, uh…this won't create a problem between us, will it?" Krissy asked, noticing the tightness in Hannibal's jaw.

"In what way?" Hannibal questioned.

"Don't play coy with me, Hannibal. I see the way you look at him sometimes. We have that look in common" Krissy exclaimed, raising an eyebrow.

"Will is an impressive man. One can't help but admire him" Hannibal replied.

"Oh, trust me. I plan to admire every part of him" Krissy teased, watching with amusement as a small chuckle passed over Hannibal's lips.

Krissy joined in the laughter, spurred on by the rare sound from Hannibal. Her laugh quickly faltered when she felt pain shoot from her abdomen once again, as the action pulled at her stomach muscles. She leaned back on her chair, gritting her teeth as she let out a shaky breath.

"You are still in a great amount of pain" Hannibal stated, as Krissy shrugged loosely.

"Getting stabbed will do that, I guess" She mumbled.

"…May I see it?" Hannibal asked, as Krissy tilted her head.

"See what?" She frowned, confused.

"Your wound. It could be infected" Hannibal pointed out, making Krissy scoff.

"I may not be practising right now, but I am a nurse, Hannibal. I think I'd know if I had an infection" Krissy insisted, but Hannibal didn't let it go.

"I was a doctor of medicine before my interest in the mind took over. I outrank you" Hannibal suggested, as Krissy rolled her eyes.

"Spoken like a true doctor" Krissy retorted.

In response, Hannibal simply ushered to his expensive-looking couch, which had been arranged to act more like a make-shift bed. When she could see Hannibal would not budge, Krissy reluctantly pushed herself to her feet, flopping down on the couch. She was quick to take her shoes off, knowing the action would please Hannibal. She then went to lie back, feeling a little uneasy.

"Please, pull up your shirt" Hannibal requested, as he came to sit by her thigh.

Krissy did as she was asked, as she felt Hannibal's fingers brush against her stomach. Without warning, he suddenly ripped the large dressing from her skin, causing Krissy to take a sharp inhale of breath. Their eyes connected for a moment, as Krissy found it strange that Hannibal almost seemed pleased by the way she didn't cry out. Hannibal's eyes surveyed her pale skin, his right hand touching the hem of her shirt, pulling it up a little higher. His other hand traced the red marks that the bandage had left, contrasting starkly against her skin. Krissy couldn't help but squirm a little under his feather-light touches, being reminded of when he visited her in the hospital.

"I will return with the necessary supplies" Hannibal announced, suddenly standing up.

He was only gone for a few minutes, having washed his hands, an array of medical supplies in his hands. He was quick to arrange what he needed, having a sterile pack ready which he opened. Donning sterile gloves, he began to clean the deep wound on Krissy's abdomen, brushing cleansed gauze over the injured skin. Krissy's jaw tensed at the stinging sensation, but she didn't speak up. After he finished drying the area, Hannibal allowed his fingers to trace the stitches which held her skin together, his mouth dry. Krissy felt her heart beat a little faster under his hand, seeing the intense look on his eyes. She didn't know the dark train of thought running through her therapist's head, as he thought how easy it would be to open the stitches, for her blood to run free. It pained him not being able to touch the wound with his bare fingers, but the risk of infection was too great. Turning to the new dressing at his side, he quickly placed it over the wound, withdrawing the temptation. He pressed down against her skin harder than necessary as he did this, able to feel the way her chest was rising faster.

"What did you say when you visited me in the hospital?" Krissy voice spoke through the tense silence, as Hannibal's eyes snapped up to her blue ones.

"I'm afraid, I don't know what you mean" Hannibal replied.

"You visited me in the hospital, I was only barely conscious. You spoke in another language" Krissy went on, as Hannibal gave a small shake of his head.

"I believe you were dreaming, Krissy" Hannibal lied, easily.

Krissy's forehead wrinkled as she could tell he wasn't telling her the truth. His tone was the same as when he spoke about Franklyn's death.

_I couldn't leave a patient in need. Besides, I had grown somewhat attached to the man. In hindsight, I wish I had turned him away from my door._

Which part exactly had Hannibal been lying about? And why was Franklyn really at his office at that moment?

_A snapped neck. Not exactly Tobias' M.O, is it? Far too clinical._

Her brother's words echoed in her head, even if it was only part of her own delusions. As Krissy watched Hannibal remove his gloves in a careful manner, her eyes widened a little. She looked over to the middle of the room, where she knew Franklyn had died, as everything melted away in front of her. Suddenly, Hannibal and Tobias were standing there, with Franklyn in the middle, completely oblivious to the danger he was in. Krissy couldn't stop the gasp that left her lips as she watched Hannibal march forward, his hands grabbing Franklyn's neck, giving a hard twist, as Franklyn's body flopped to the floor. Dead.

"**_You really know how to pick your friends_**" An amused voice came from behind her, as she didn't have to turn to know who was speaking.

"Krissy?" Hannibal's voice interrupted, as she turned back to him.

He had been watching as she stared off into the distance for the last few seconds, a look of horror on her face. Krissy slowly turned back to him, her eyes downcast, as she tried to control her breathing.

"What do you see?" Hannibal questioned, a curious tone to his voice.

"**_You better think of a story quick._ **_**He's already killed one of his patients. I doubt he'll have any problem snapping your neck too**" _Her brother's voice warned, as she could practically feel him breathing down her neck.

"Tobias. I…I see him killing me. Just like he did to Franklyn" Krissy stuttered, her frightened eyes finally meeting Hannibal's.

"He's gone. He won't ever touch you again" Hannibal told her, pushing himself to his feet.

As he went to walk past, he dropped his hand onto her shoulder, giving a tight squeeze in what could have been meant as a comforting gesture. Or a threat, Krissy thought to herself.

"**_Out of the frying pan and into the fire, huh, Kris_**?" Her brother's voice exclaimed, as they both watched him walk away.


End file.
